There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban
by SekhmetDaCat
Summary: The Avatar has always had two assistants, we just never saw them thanks to Kanaletto. Now Eva will meet Avatar Jordan's new assistants only to embark on a new adventure...through time. You've had 12 years of peace Molly, it's time to pay up.
1. How has Jordan been?

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 1: How has Jordan been?**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** I don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

Almost at the end of the two week period of having a glowy non-solid form Jordan was more than willing to admit that maybe becoming the Avatar was a mistake on his part.

Don't get him wrong, he'd do anything to save Molly again if he had to, it's just that…the last two weeks gave him a lot of QUIET time to think about all the what-ifs there could possibly be.

It sucked, really, to spend most of his waking moments - after been given a 22 hour tutorial by the Creators on how to be an Avatar, the rules, his new obligations, the works – thinking about 'what if they had back-up?', 'would it have changed anything?', 'maybe he could have helped out differently', 'maybe it would have all worked out if they had stuck together on their way to the pyramid', and his all-time favorite 'I hope Molly is doing OK!'.

Jordan in the end, right around time Aikka got hurt and G'dar brought him over to the Earth module, realized that it wasn't that Molly didn't hear when he first told her he liked her. No, it was that she just didn't like him that way and didn't know how to tell him that she just wanted to be friends. It hurts, but sometimes that's just how things are. Aren't they?

Frankly, he was already tired of every depressing thought that his new semi-immortality and consequential boredom gave him. However, thinking about anything else just made him want to whine all the more.

He had no clue if he could eat the food on Oban without getting poisoned or if it would even taste good.

The only thing that seemed to keep him alive and well was his almost eternal life, without it he probably would have died the second half of the first week.

Another thing that constantly bugged him was that he was a living, breathing night-light and he could only get a few winks in before he woke himself up. This problem of course brought his attention to only more problems.

Apparently, he may have been given the knowledge that every Avatar should have on magic, but a simple sleep charm seemed well beyond him. A fact that was proven when he accidentally put everything on Oban, except himself, to sleep.

Sure, he disabled the Crog ships near Earth and Nourasia the first few seconds he was Avatar, but that was more the Creators then him, like a type of spiritual possession or something. Of course, he would have tried to save Earth and Nourasia on his own, but if it was up to him he would have done more than just disable the Crog ships.

As for the egg-shaped modules that sent all the teams home…those were on some impressive type of magical auto-pilot.

Too bad, he didn't know enough magic to make himself look normal. He just had to find a way to make his eyes less yellow and his hair stop waving around like as if he was eternally in front of a fan.

Besides, didn't they say it would were off on its own? What a jip!!!!!!!

He already asked the Creators how he was supposed to practice his magic, but they only gave an enigmatic 'they will teach you' before returning to their usual glowing silence. Honestly, who were 'they'?

How in the world was he supposed to watch out for ALL threats to this galaxy, which ranged from war between coalitions of planets to interstellar terrorist sociopaths looking for something to do, and those were the internal threats.

The external threats, however, were a variety of rebellions and wars between planets that pertained to planets in different galaxies.

The next thing he had to take care of was the trouble of finding and gaining the favor of five ancient beings from other galaxies to help aid him with this intergalactic strife.

The most those annoying balls of light could have done was give him a map or some kind of 'they're thatta way' to at least give him a direction to look for. Nope, nada.

Finally, he had to learn every language and custom that could possibly help him? Just how did they expect him to do this if he couldn't even properly change forms yet?

Kanaletto must have been pushed of the deep end WAY before Satis became Avatar; why else would he want another go at it? Come on! The loneliness, the extreme boredom, and whatever traumas of living like that for 10,000 YEARS could have unquestionably done him in. Really, the only thing he had going for him was that he knew how to use magic.

And Satis…that old man most definitely had REAL assistants! How else would he have been able to always find them on Alwas, while he was supposed to be on another planet? And to be so well informed, all the time, about everything they did? He had to have help!

"Hmmm…maybe I should start a new race to get some help around here…preferably the magical type." mused the new Avatar as he lounged lazily in the garden of his temple.

Jordan wasn't doing too badly on his own.

The Creators were sure that once Kanaletto's remaining magic wore off THEY would surely return from the depths of that wormhole the Timeless One had banished them to. It was only a matter of a couple of days more.

The Earth team's gunner certainly wasn't the one promised to them by fate and her guardian, but he had a pure heart and that is what really mattered. All his doubts, insecurities and that dreadful impatience for action, would most likely fade with the passing of time. Then again…he was an Earther; they never had one of those before.

As Jordan continued to laze around he suddenly had the weirdest craving for ice-cream. Thoughts of Rocky Road, Rum Raisin, Coco chocolate-chip, Pistachio amongst others seemed to be floating in his head.

Maybe, he just got overcome with nostalgia or maybe it was his first ever premonition but when he finally decided to go inside he found a door that he didn't remember ever being there.

Common sense would tell one to be cautious especially in these circumstances, and would reach near paranoid levels for anyone trained in the military.

However, our dear Avatar having been deprived of all things normal for much longer than he would have liked, added to the fact that he hadn't seen a soul for just as long, took things in stride and entered the room he just discovered like as if he didn't have a care in the world.

The inside of the room awed the Earther gunner, it was a fully stored kitchen filled with the most delectable if not foreign smells, and just a few feet away on a counter was **a lone tub of ice-cream**. God, it was too good to be true…almost as if he had accidentally summoned it. Maybe, he should do whatever he did more often.

As he grabbed a conveniently placed spoon that was right next to the Rum-Raisin flavored ice-cream, the breezy hair at the back of his head stood on end. Something bad was going to happen.

Apparently, it was too good to be true after all, just not for the obvious reasons.

With a scream Jordan felt himself get pinned on his back in mere nanoseconds, making him hit his head on the floor and thus causing his focus to give out returning him to his full Avatar state.

A woman, apparently Earther in origin, with long, onyx colored tresses and oddly glowing indigo eyes straddled him. As they laid or sat there, whichever the case, Jordan could tell that he did something to royally piss her off.

It could have been the fact that she was growling at him, or that her glowing eyes seemed to be like pools with shadows skirting amorphously in the depths while the sun was shining, or maybe it was the vein that was twitching on her temple.

After a minute it didn't matter. Jordan realized a bit late that she had paralyzed his body with an odd incantation and now had a fireball aimed at his chest.

If he wasn't so damn scared maybe he would have laughed at the lameness of what she said next. "Come on darling, I want to hear you howl for me to stop." It was so damn cliché, just about every evil psychopath had said something similar in the movies.

"Bu…but…it's just ice-cream!" Jordan managed to spit out, halting the fireball in her hand from going through him.

The woman, eighteen years old in appearance, simply smiled evilly down at him. "If you want me to stop you have to say something for me first!" she crowed.

"What's that?" Jordan mumbled clearly eager to get this mad woman off him.

She giggled a little before reciting, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream!"

As she laughed herself silly as she finished. Yep, she was definitely of her rocker.

He was just about to recite the odd phrase when, "Could you stop acting the fool. Get off of him!" ordered a man just outside the door Jordan had entered. From where he was, Jordan could tell that this man was about a head taller than Rick had been, wearing a black trench coat, matching pants and had a sword on his back…and was that a tail?

The man or better said werewolf, had a no-nonsense look on his face as he looked down his muzzle at the girl, who by now sported a sheepish look on her face.

"But Shinji, new master or not, he's just too easy!!!!!!" she whined back. Giving her companion a foxy smirk.

Jordan looked horrified…maybe that door lead to the twilight zone.

DaCat: That went…well. What can you do? It's my version of just how well Jordan could actually do the Avatar job. He's capable, but he just needs to realize that sometimes he needs to help himself rather than just takes orders or be taught by others. A half-half thing is what is needed to be Avatar. You need to be your own person and you have to be able to ask for help when you need it. The first quality is something Jordan needs A LOT, because even if he did sacrifice himself for Eva that doesn't ensure a personality change. The second is something needs to balance out cause he wimps out far too easily for him to be able to do this job. I know he's been getting better at it, but he's going to be whining for a bit longer before he stops.

The position of Avatar really doesn't seem like the kind where you'll only get the bare specifics before your put on the field, though. It's more of a trial an error thing where he'll always need somebody with more experience to push him in the right direction.

Silver-White-Tiger (SWT): Seriously Jordan wimps out whenever he can't or isn't strong enough to do something. It's seriously pathetic. The Creators can't have an Avatar that's going to run away with his tail between his legs just because there is someone more powerful (like… Don Wei! LOL!!) than him.

Anyway, I assure you all that this will be a great story and I am a firm MollyxAikka supporter, now I only have to convince my co-author to join the dark side (We have cookies).

DaCat: Well, someone's on sugar. For the lovely people who review. I LUV U!!!!

For all the flamers, why can't you do any constructive critism? Well you'll be happy to know that you're feeding my pet phoenix…it's so CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SWT: We love REVIEWS!!!! REVIEW US!!


	2. Meet the Assistants…plus one

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 2: Meet the Assistants…plus one**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** I don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

"But Shinji, new master or not, he's just too easy!!!!!!" she whined back. Giving her companion a foxy smirk.

Jordan looked horrified…maybe that door lead to the twilight zone. "What the hell!?"

Lifting herself off of her 'new master' only to latch onto his neck squealing that he's a 'pretty, glowy, centaury-thingy!', Shinji only managed to shake his head at the stupidity of his companion.

"Hey you, is she always this high?" Jordan asked as the odd girl started rubbing her cheek against his. He looked pretty spooked that this mental girl, who just happened to appear out of nowhere, was now harassing him within an inch of his life.

The Lycan seemed to have taken pity of the Earther boy, despite having looked affronted at being referred as 'Hey you', as he indifferently offered a "Sotai, you're ice-cream is going to melt." as help.

The indigo eyed girl seemed to vanish and reappear guzzling down the ice-cream as if it were water, a couple meters away, only to start raiding the fridge a mere five minutes later.

If Shinji didn't look like as if he wanted to kill everything in sight Jordan probably would have hugged him. Sensing Jordan's discomfort at his presence, Shinji decided to warn him about his partner to divert the Earther's attention somewhere else, "She's only like that when she hasn't eaten for a few weeks. I'd stay away from her if I were you, at least until she's full or damn near it. Gazians probably would eat anything, even those metal monstrosities you call 'cars', if they're hungry enough." And then walked off to serve himself what Sotai and now a little girl with long white hair were ignoring for the moment.

Jordan in some far off region of his mind couldn't help but notice that Shinji moved elegantly, in swift and calculated moves so as to avoid any contact with Sotai hands or food.

It scared him really. Shinji and Sotai's presences were very intimidating, if not down right unnerving.

However, as the werewolf returned with a full plate filled with an assortment of meats, cheeses, mashed potatoes and a healthy portion of rice and gravy; Jordan's shock had worn down. The Earther Avatar was annoyed with these three intruders, whoever they were, and was most definitely going to get some answers.

Too bad that Sotai from across the room, fully fed and looking much more aware of the world, interrupted him just as he was about to open his mouth. "We're your new assistants…or better said, you're our new master." She smiled a very calm and demure smile at him as she bent down to pick up the little girl and sit her on the counter so she could see everything better.

Jordan stood a little straighter at this, "Thanks a bunch, but I want to choose my own assistants. So you can just go now. Bye-bye." Jordan announced petulantly and turned to leave when…

Shinji quickly grabbed Jordan by his arm firmly, "I'm afraid this is for good, whether you like it or not, my lord. We have been doing this since there's been an Avatar on Oban, as we shall continue to do until there is no Oban to be Avatar of."

About to say something, Jordan reconsidered it before opening his mouth to ask in a defeated voice, "Well, who are you? If we're going to be sharing the same planet you might as well tell me your names!" he finished irritably.

The girl on the counter giggled a bit, yelling out and pointing at Shinji, "Hith, name Shin-jee, wots of years ol' and 'e Per'guwean and he have a gwumpy face all da time!!!" turning to look at Sotai, "She Sow-tie, altho lotta year ol', she nice, an funny, an she a gathian wike ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she cried out laughing.

Shinji, currently had a tick in his left eye, "Not all Perkgureans are necessarily perky you damn feline herald!" he growled.

Sotai simply smiled mischievously, "We know, we know, you're only perky when you look up a girl's skirt, we know!"

Not even sparing a glance at Jordan that was seriously getting tired of being ignored, Shinji rounded up to Sotai and yelled in her face, "Stop making me sound like a pervert, you know I find no pleasure in such devious acts!"

The elder Gazian girl only calmly smiled at the comment before stage whispering, "You're right, I didn't know you were gay!", "Damn you, I'm not gay!" he snapped back at her.

Fiddling around with a button on her open short sleeved white blouse, she responded with a hint of mischief, "So, you're meaning to tell me that you, a straight guy, can look up a cute girl's skirt and feel not even the slightest bit interested?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that…" he reflected. "So, it's settled. You're a closet pervert." She concluded, nodding her head as if finally understanding the situation.

Steam seemed to be coming from Shinji's ears, "I MOST DEFINITELY, AM NOT!!!" he bellowed. Sotai seemed to seriously look confused as she asked, "So…your bisexual and just aren't interested in girls at the moment?"

This comment, however, started a fight between the two, where Sotai seemed to be calmly teasing Shinji and Shinji hyperventilating while trying to disprove every new accusation she flung at him.

"Ok…" Jordan said to himself turning to look at the little girl, "happen to know how they can help me?"

"Yep, yep!" she nodded, "Galatea kno'wots a tuff!" pointing at herself while her silvery eyes glowed in a dimmer but very similar manner as her compatriots had done before. Nodding as she continued, "Dey gotta kip yu awive, an mayk shure yu do ur doodie" she giggled at what she just said, "an dey sho yu how to do sparkwee tuff", "magic?" intervened Jordan, "Yeah, dat! Yu so smawt!" she awed before continuing "buh dey caneht do sum tuff…wike undo yu booboos cuz dey den haf to undo evweeting even big wayzz, yap!" the probable four year old tried to say solemnly, but only managed to make herself look incredibly adorable.

Jordan decided to clear everything up before she got too frustrated at trying to explain things to him. "So let me get this straight, they must help me with my magic, keep me from dieing of…enemy fire, if there is any" he asked uncertainly, to which she only nodded happily, "make sure I protect the galaxy of all threats, have contact with those five beings from other galaxies, and learn all sorts of languages and customs along the way, right?" The white haired girl in the parka looked impressed, "I gwayt teechor!" she announced looking very pleased with herself, as Shinji and Sotai decided to pay attention to their new master once again.

Trying to make this new relationship a little more bearable, Jordan thought it would be appropriate to say something nice about a neutral subject that they wouldn't have to fight over.

"Your daughter is very intelligent. She's very helpful in explaining abstract topics."

Sotai and Shinji sort of stopped to stare at him for moment, before, looking positively sick around the gills the Perkgurean simple mumbled an incoherent, "…rather get neutered…than sire…that thing…" while holding his head as if he was having a headache. Sotai, trying not chuckle, said "She's…hehehe…older than I am…hehehehehehehe!!!!!"

The little girl in the steel grey and light blue parka nodded as solemnly as a four year old could, "Swo twoo."

At Jordan's disbelieving face Sotai, could only confirm this statement adding that Galatea preferred being the same height as her friend, the Avatar Satis, even if it impaired her speech.

Shinji looked a little confused for a mere second before asking Jordan something that seemed to have been on his mind for a while, "…speaking of which, where is my lord Satis?"

This subject caused the Earther gunner to get a little uncomfortable. It was always tough to tell anyone that someone they knew was gone and wasn't coming back. Why did it have to fall on him to do this? "Look…your really…not going to like…what I have to say…but you see…well, the thing is…" Shinji snapped his jaws at the boy to continue, "Ah! Don't do that!!!!!!!! Jeez, anyway as I was saying…Satis is dead…look I'm sorry…Kanaletto did it, but don't worry…uhm…when I was made Avatar he turned to dust, so you don't have to worry about him anymore!" he finished quickly.

The kitchen's warm atmosphere had cooled drastically. Shinji had taken to sitting on the floor looking annoyed at something, Sotai had gotten a far off look in her eyes but otherwise did nothing as she looked out a painted glass window in the adobe colored kitchen, as for Galatea…she was getting huffy and seemed like as if she was going to through a tantrum at a moments notice.

The newly instated Avatar tried to give them a moment's silence to sort their thoughts when all of a sudden a thought came to him. Before, he could send the command to keep his mouth shut, he uttered the question. "You were supposed to keep him safe from all his foes…why didn't you?"

As he sat on the floor Shinji seemed to be mulling over the question, "At the start of the race back on Alwas, Galatea recognized Kanaletto's interference in the Earth team's first race. In between our duties to the race and our shielding her from causing a disturbance amongst the racers, we investigated a little." Shinji sighed a little at the memory.

Turning away from the window, Sotai started where he left off. "During this investigation we had found many dead ends filled with winding paths, a mysterious fire, a couple Scrubs too scared to talk of what little they did know and various other obstacles. However, we did find something of use. Kanaletto's cage was no longer capable of holding him and by the time the finalists had arrived on Oban we had already set out to find him. When we did, I'm afraid to say that he took us by surprise and quickly blasted our dearest Tammy-chan," she signaled at Galatea "into a wormhole. Knowing that she's not so good at freeing herself, as her dimensional magic is quite weak and could have been lost forever, we threw ourselves in after her, getting caught ourselves. We just managed to break out of that infernal spell last night, been raiding the fridge since this morning."

Jordan couldn't understand how Sotai could make that story sound so interesting, yet so utterly typical that it's not even worth mentioning. "So you guys are truly immortal, right? Not just half? That's how you survived?" Jordan muttered dumbly.

No one answered, they didn't have to. It was a rhetorical question and they knew it.

Standing up slowly Shinji returned to the alien looking refrigerator to fill another plate of food. Now that Jordan thought about it, that fridge looked so weird. It looked like as if it were made with a bunch of curtains that could miraculously float in the air and had trays floating around inside.

Returning with a plate filled with food Shinji thrust it into Jordan's hands before leading him out of the kitchen and down the hallway with Sotai and Galatea bringing up the rear.

After a while of going down many stairways and detouring through quite a few hallways, Shinji let Jordan go in favor of playing follow the leader so he could eat something before they arrived to wherever they were going.

As he ate, Jordan decided to chat a little with girls, as mental as they were they were much better at explaining things than Shinji had been until then.

"So…uhm…what did you mean by…uhm…not being able to undo stuff?" he asked Galatea. Sotai, nonetheless, was the one to answer the question. "It means you screw up, neither Shinji nor I could undo do it without undoing your status as Avatar. So you better not screw up." Seemingly, becoming a little less cheerful she inquired. "Anything else, on your mind?"

"Why is Galatea here? I mean, I know how you all got here, but why was she at the race?" the earth team's gunner spit out not knowing the right way to ask the question.

Sotai merely looked at the shorter girl for a moment waiting for the child to nod back before responding, "She was a good friend of Satis' and she kept him company while Shinji and I did our duties"

Blinking the teenager continued, "So, she's my companion, now?" Galatea merely shook her head saying, "We not fwends. Gathiyan wiv wong time, dat why I visit wots. Won Gathian year is den-taoosand a ur years!"

Jordan took advantage of her seriousness to ask yet another question that had been bothering him, "So what IS a Gazian?"

Sharing an amused look with Galatea, Sotai explained, "Gazians, like Perkgureans, come from another galaxy. Our home planet is Gaz, the most perilous deathtrap in the universe due to its extremely dangerous wildlife. Physically, we look like tall Earthers with thin cat-like tails, claws, fangs, ears, and, of course, we have the slitted eyes. We're all capable of magic and are known to be wonderfully capable shape-shifters. Our home planet is renowned for its advanced bio-technology."

He couldn't believe his ears, "…say what? How could you guys come from another galaxy?...No wait, never mind that! Why would anyone from another galaxy try to help someone from this galaxy?"

The topic must've bored Sotai for she no longer looked anywhere near interested in what she responded next, "Don't know really, it was an order from the High Lord."

"And, you're just doing this because he said so?" he gasped. It was just too weird to be true.

Galatea giggled a little, "No way, ho-say!" Sotai smile widened a little, "I don't mind, since I'm getting something out of this."

Shinji snorted in disgust, "That's what I hate about you Gazians, you have no honor and must always get something in exchange for doing anything helpful for others, even blackmailing your own King!"

Turning left, they went down yet another long hallway.

Narrowing her eyes, Sotai simply murmured loud enough for all to hear, "Sorry about that, but Shinji always forgotten that some values are different in different cultures. For example, the Honor Code _by which the populace live by_!" She sneered at the end.

"Memo to myself," Jordan thought "never give those two anything to do that implies that they must be in the same room."

"Guess that means Perkgureans and Gazians don't get along that well, huh?" The new Avatar said aloud.

Having diverted Sotai's none too pleasant thoughts, she simply commented "We're like the Crogs and the Nourasians. We have a military alliance that bounds together our strengths and efforts, but despite that it doesn't stop us from wishing to disembowel the other with a blunt spoon. Yes, exactly like the Crogs and the Nourasians. Wouldn't you agree Shinji?"

Shinji stopped for a moment before turning around to look at her. "I'd say we're more respectful towards each other, than they are." He announced, as if it were a common fact.

Jordan looked like as if he wanted to disagree, but didn't really know what to say. After all, he knew nothing more of the Nourasians than their alliance with the Crogs and whatever interactions he had had with the Nourasian prince. Hardly enough, he realized belatedly.

Continuing down the hallway, Shinji stopped outside of a door that seemed to lead to the dungeons. It had a small bared window, a torch on either side of the door with glowing green flames crackling softly, and the door itself seemed to be made out of a type of granite with wooden slabs crisscrossing every so often.

Taking out a pair of keys Shinji looked at Jordan for a moment, "I hope you've eaten your fill, young master, for we shall be in there for quite some time." Turning without waiting for an answer he entered the room, followed by Sotai and Galatea.

Looking at the dark entrance, Jordan couldn't help but groan, "This day just keeps getting better and better?!" as he hurried to catch up with the rest.

Following the rest, irritated beyond words, Jordan just couldn't help but feel that his new assistants thought of their Avatars as someone else's pet they were babysitting for a while. You know, they'd receive them in their house, take care of them, maybe show them a new trick, and then at the end of it all they would return them back to the owners with no more regard to the loss of said creature than a moment of silence, before returning to their own lives waiting to do it again the next day. It was annoying and he wished they'd stop being so lukewarm in their treatment towards him, maybe they'd at least warm up a bit after a while of getting to know each other or preferably start treating him like a person who actually matters. He was their new master, after all.

**DaCat**: Meh! At least, no one's whining this time. By the way, crazyvegimab and Star Fata I'm so very, VERY glad you reviewed. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! (Jumps off the walls in joy of getting her first reviews)

As a side-note: I use the metric system and have no idea how tall is a person that is 5'7"(seriously, I'd have to do a lot of math in my poor little head, before I figure out that it's around…1.67 and a half meters tall), so don't ask me if you get confused whenever the length or height of anything is discussed.

I think I screwed something up…not sure what though…hmmm…what do you think SWT?

**SWT**: (golem type voice) Reviews are my precious, so precious. More we must get more REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(normal voice) Thank you very much for those two reviews, we shall be expecting more for later chapters please review because that makes our world go round. No flames yet right?

**DaCat: ** Nope! Not one!

**SWT: **(does victory dance) Review!


	3. …are we really going to do this?

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 3: A Darker look into things…are we really going to do this?**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

As they entered the dark room, Shinji unsheathed his sword and with a simple swipe caused a current of electricity to flow through the room, turning on various orbs of light that were scattered around the room. Re-sheathing his sword, the wolf man walked towards a long table that had been pushed against the left wall.

Shaking her head, Sotai darkly muttered, "With all that static one would think your doggy hair would make you look like a poodle, Shinji." The lycan looking Perkgurean simply started removing his sword, sheath and all, and gently settled it on the table, seemingly unaware of Sotai's sharp tongue.

Sotai seemed to have influenced Galatea into joining her taunting, for the little four year old began to sing at the top of her lungs, "Cho of, cho of, Shin-jee a cho of!!!" while running circles around Jordan.

Taking the time to look around, and distract himself from Galatea singing herself silly, Jordan realized that the room seemed to be some sort of a throne room.

At the back of the room there was a small area higher than the rest of the room and the whole room seemed to be devoid of all furniture except for the banquet dining table at the side of the cavernous room.

After a moment, Sotai headed towards the table where the Perkgurean man had placed his sword and was now setting his trench coat beside it. As she removed her white, short sleeved blouse that reached up to her mid-thigh, leaving her in a loose black tank-top and matching Capri pants, she turned to look at Galatea. The little Gazian girl in understanding quickly turned silent and slowly walked of to the side, only to sit against a far of wall.

Meanwhile, the young Earther had taken to looking up, the ceiling was pretty high. "What is this place?" the young Avatar said in awe.

Grabbing a small brown pouch, Shinji turned towards the Earth team's gunner, "This is a magic amplification room, and we use it for special rituals that need a great deal of power to be used. Like the one we'll be doing in a minute."

The green eyed lycans words snapped Jordan back to the problem at hand, "Hey, just what are we doing here anyway and what do you mean 'like the one we'll be doing'? Stop acting like as if I'm some sort of an object! I'm supposed to be your new master, right? Start acting like it then, tell me what's going on!" Avatar Jordan glared at his assistants.

After hearing Jordan's rant, Sotai wasn't as surprised as one would think she'd be, in fact she was pleased. So, very pleased.

"Good to know that he can put his foot down, I was beginning to think that I'd have to pull his strings for a good long while before he would finally react, if the way he was whining back in the garden was any indication." The taller Gazian woman thought to herself as she calmly smiled at her new charge.

Too bad this ritual would stop her from playing this game more often…messing with the new guy was always a riot. Shame Shinji had to insist on cutting her fun short, each and every time. Stupid dog boy!

Looking fixedly at Jordan, Shinji seemed to be anxious to get things done as fast as possible. "This ritual assures our unwavering loyalty to you and prevents us from acting against your better interests. There used to be more to it…", "…but after Kanaletto any more restrictions would become too bothersome." interrupted Sotai as she held a ball of light in the outstretched palm of her right hand.

"Anything else before we begin, my lord?" inquired Shinji, "If that is all, then we must begin immediately." He ended with an air of finality.

Before Jordan could open his mouth to argue, a bright light emanating from a magical circle that had just appeared from under the three blinded the Avatar. The ritual had begun.

Five hours had past and the Obanian sun was setting when they had finally returned to the top levels of the Avatar's palace.

"Just to make things clear, I hate you. I REALLY hate the BOTH of you!" declared the exhausted Avatar. "In fact I think I'll make you guys my personal errand boys and make you deliver cards to everyone I know back on Earth, EVEN 'Thanks, I got your letter' cards!"

Shinji and Sotai both looked too tired to care. However, that didn't seem to deter Sotai from pleasantly threatening him "That's nice, but remember to do it quietly. Wouldn't want to wake as a girl one day, would we?"

Galatea was sure that if Jordan kept going they'd BOTH lock him away for the rest of the 10,000 years he was Avatar. Headaches and nasty tempers were the usual side-effects of the link charm that ritual conjured upon the participants.

Just by looking at the Avatar's assistants, she could tell that it was probably a combination of both. Probably the best of time to remind Jordan that he's hungry, she decided, as Sotai's canines seemed to be lengthening behind her good-natured smile.

"Jo-an, Jo-an!! Me maky yu foo'!Now! Me maky yu foo'!" the little tyke screamed as she hauled and pushed and dragged the Earther to the kitchen.

Recognizing the effort, the sword wielding Perkgurean nodded to the little Gazian in thanks.

It was later at night, long after they had gone to bed, when three figures appeared under the cover of a ruined building, not too far away from the Avatar's palace.

A conveniently shadow enshrouded Galatea and a totally visible Sotai and Shinji had decided to meet later that night to discuss the happenings of the day.

"I do say, my darlings, that your game ended quite foully, wouldn't you say? Not, that you're excused from having started it, of course." Galatea lightly reprimanded Sotai.

"Yeah, I know. But, did he have to make his mark upon us look like a tattooed chibi version of himself? I'll let bygones be bygones, but one crack from him and whenever it's my turn to cook it'll all be spicy food, I swear! Maybe, even, ones that have questionable parts of animals, just to make him sweat" the mental Gazian girl murmured.

Shaking his head, the Perkgurean male argued, "It is not that bad. If you do not forget, I too have one."

Whipping her head around to have a better look at his face Sotai reasoned that, "Tattoos don't show on fur." Adding after a pause, "Besides, I wonder how 'not so bad' it'll be for you during the summer, when you return to your human-like state, like a good dog boy."

A moment's pause greeted the group, as he thought it over. The twitching of his ears, the only hint of his consideration of Sotai's words. "I wonder how our lord will take such changes. He doesn't seem to take odd situations very well." Pausing a moment before snapping at Sotai, "And stop calling me that! I am no mere mutt!"

Sensing an impending fight coming on, Sotai decided to give Shinji a break and changed the topic. Turning her attention towards her compatriot, Sotai demanded "Lady "Galatea, while in the wormhole we all felt the passing of my old master. Why did you order us to act as if we didn't know? Even more importantly, you, the Herald of Prophecies, one of the many ancients sworn to never ally themselves to an Avatar as anything more than a companion, came along with us to see our new master, when you clearly weren't interested at all, why?"

'That was quick' thought silently Galatea, 'then again she isn't one to be easily evaded or pushed aside.'

"Herald, an answer would be most appreciated" glared Shinji, clearly adding his two cents.

Seeing no way to get out of the situation, clearly cornered, she responded in kind, "I'm afraid that when the Avatar was chosen one of the Vicious Thirteen narrowed their eyes. I thought that maybe looking at him would tell me why…"

That got the assistants attention, for sure. One of the Ancients, the last one-hundred and eight true-immortals, didn't appreciate their new master.

They'd most likely find out who it was soon enough.

Whenever a person defied fate, her guardian would most likely rant until they were blue in the face. About how this changes all their carefully planned fates that were now scrapped because of some moron out to change their stars, how this would cause destiny to have to negotiate the changing of who knows how many paths the people influenced were now privy to, and, of course, who were the most effected amongst the ancients, themselves.

Sotai and Shinji quietly decided to send them large jars of Aspirin, as a 'we're sorry.'

"However," continued Galatea "I do feel quite apologetic for the trouble you two will have to go through with this one."

Trust Galatea to say the obvious. Each and every one of there old masters had caused them much unwanted grief, in their own manner. How could this one be any different?

"He'll keep his promise you know." She said quietly, combing her white locks with her hand, "Jordan, will make you guys his personal messengers - you're not going to like who you'll meet doing such. Try to not do things too quickly or else you might not be able to keep up with your other duties. And, train hard the Ancient's tournament is only eighty three Earth years away and you must be present." She lectured the couple.

Preferring another, more promising, topic Shinji asked, "And what shall you do with Kanaletto. Surely, you don't believe light beams could kill him do you?"

The lion-humanoid creatures sung in the distance wishing to pacify all you who heard their song.

Nonetheless, this did little to appease the sudden stiffening of Galatea's back, as she heard Shinji's words.

Sharply answering in a cold tone of voice, "I believe that I shall be absent for a while, hunting and killing your old master, you don't mind do you?"

Sotai's smile returned to her face, "I'll give you a jelly bunny when you come back, if you actually finish him off…without him escaping more than four times."

Nodding, Shinji offered to 'accidentally' let her terrorize her 'munchies', if she did it under three.

Kanaletto already had received more than enough leniencies from them, more than he deserved!

Damnit, they LIKED Satis!

As Galatea disappeared into the night, the green-eyed Perkgurean and the indigo-eyed Gazian started trekking back to the palace.

"Did you believe her when she talked about Jordan being serious?" inquired Shinji as they dodged a place they knew to be teaming with predators.

"As a fellow Gazian, I know she said a truth, she said a lie and she withheld information about what she knows will happen." Sotai stated firmly, looking annoyed as one of the steps to the palace seemed to be loose enough to make her stumble.

"Do you think he'll actually go through with that silly promise? And, also, do you reckon he will be able to handle it, the trouble, I mean" Shinji worriedly asked.

As they parted to enter their rooms, Sotai answered confidently "He'll have to. After all, if he does come through with it, Avatar or not, I'll make sure he's given the full work load. As for the trouble, well the publicity will ensure someone comes to our side, who knows maybe all five."

**DaCat**: If anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to answer any you may have. I didn't explain the ritual they used because it would take too much time explaining how everything looked like, what was said, and how the characters reacted to whatever happened in there. Besides, I wanted to finish this pretty soon so I can get to how Eva/Molly's been and just why we wrote what we wrote in the summary.

It sucks to know that not many people like to review, but it cheered me up to know that people have at least looked at it.

**SWT**: Reviews are needed to satisfy our cravings form them and therefore update quicker. We ask for your total cooperation and no one will be hurt in the process, mainly me and DaCat.


	4. Molly’s Ever After

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 4: Molly's Ever After**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

Ten years had passed since the great race of Oban had come to an end and only a select few on Earth had been aware of its coming and passing.

One of those few was a Ms. Eva Wei, age 25 and currently attending her second to last year at the University of Akron.

While, it was Ms. Wei who had, in fact, gone to the Oban star race, many will insist that it was actually Molly, Ms. Wei's temporal alter ego, who had been to the preliminary race on Alwas and then the finals on Oban.

This could explain why many non-Earthers, plus the Avatar, had the peculiar habit of referring to the young Earth girl as 'Molly'.

After returning to Earth, Molly's, or shall we say Eva's, relationship with the rest of the Earth team had changed.

Eva's relationship with her father seemed to be always a learning process. Don Wei had to learn how to be the parent of a fifteen year old girl – who was still growing - and rapidly realize that his little Eva was now 'all grown up'. Eva, on the other hand, had to realize that Don Wei would need some time before he could comfortably be a parent, again.

Eva never started referring to herself as 'Molly', again. This was mostly because of Don Wei; he seemed to have issues with Molly.

As for Stan and Koji, Eva met up with them on occasion, mostly during the few times they were working for a team, along side Miguel, and that team just so happened to be going against Don Wei's team on the track near her new school.

In other words, for about a week, each year. She could only visit on the weekends, though.

She mainly called them to know how they were and sometimes asked if they could help her with her homework for her _Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery _class, after she got into university.

Eva is currently majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

When Rick had returned to the Earth he had decided to simply announce that he had decided to become a coach. When asked why, he simply answered with the world famous 'no comment', before moving on to do something else.

By the time, Eva and the rest of the Earth team had returned, Rick had been on a plane to Europe to coach a racer from Belgium.

In cases like these, it was always easier to use e-mail and vid-phones to keep in touch.

Nonetheless, non-Earth communication was always a drag. It normally took weeks, or a month or so, to send or receive a card and setting up interplanetary vid-phones normally mandated that someone important had to be making the call.

Someone like Prin…er…King Aikka of Nourasia, perhaps?

It wasn't really that surprising to find out Aikka had finally succeeded the throne. It had to happen someday.

He seemed to have made it an honor bound oath to call Eva at least once a month, ever since his succession. These kinds of calls had to be OKed by both parties one week before, just in case.

With this sort of dedication to a friend, heaven and hell couldn't help but wonder why he refused to let her know that he was engaged for the last six months.

There were bets placed by their ancestors on whether he truly liked her and some of the more straight-forward of the lot, simply stated that he didn't want her to stop receiving his calls.

Some angels thought it was more likely that he, like any reasonable male, had a healthy fear for an enraged female. Demons thought, otherwise, of course.

Whatever it was, they hoped he'd tell her soon. The fist fights in heaven and the gang wars in hell were starting to worry those in charge.

Vid-phones were in most cases too problematic when it came to interplanetary calls. Almost nobody on Earth needed to use them.

The Avatar had no such trouble. Apparently, Jordan had been serious…and so had Sotai.

While snail mail was mostly a formality, nowadays, it was one of the few things he could make Shinji and Sotai do without there being anymore consequences – other than gaining unholy amounts of paperwork on his desk.

This unholy forest of white pages was only a **faux** formality, really.

The Avatar NEVER needed to know what utterly boring happenings were ensuing on the Scrub planet of Alwas or whether the leepers – lion humanoids with great voices - were late doing there annual festival or not.

But, Sotai felt that this was a perfectly good form of equivalent exchange.

The first of the Avatar's assistants to do the 'highly commended' job of the Avatar's mailman was Shinji.

He got yelled at A LOT. Jordan sent the poor guy out to send a letter to his mom at an hour that was equal to 3 am in said area's time zone.

Scared the poor woman to death, seeing a 2.10 m. werewolf trip on her coffee table.

The first assistant Molly ever met was Sotai.

**Flashback**

"You know if keep scrunching up your brow like that you'll look like your neighbors bulldog," the feline teased the studying youth.

Looking up the Earth team's ex female pilot muttered a startled "Aaahhhh!" before falling of her bed and quickly standing up with a ruler as if it were a sword. "Get back or else…I'll hurt you, I really will!" exclaimed Eva.

Sotai was definitely unimpressed and it showed, but she seemed to play along. "Well, I guess I fear rulers, since I'm a messenger girl, I must, most definitely, suffer from Cynophobia. I suppose being afraid of rulers is right up there, too!" the Gazian shrugged indifferently, as she simply stood there looking around the girl's room.

The non-aggressive attitude of the strange alien seemed to give Eva the courage to demand an explanation, "Who the hell are you?"

The indigo-eyed feline raised an eyebrow, "In which way are we speaking here: Philosophically, spiritually, ethnically, or politically? Please, make yourself clear." She added annoyed at how the Earther didn't just get down to business like a good little Terran girl.

Honestly, if she was going to stick around until she got a response from her master's friend this had BETTER go quickly or else Jordan was going to find out how many types of insects could be found on Nourasia and what were their favorite foods, yay.

Taken off guard 'Molly' decided to redo her answer with a "What are you doing here?" It was more practical that way, she guessed.

Sighing to herself, the Gazian found that answering directly seemed to work best for humans.

They were so rough, no wonder they had wars each other year, at every chance they got.

"Well, I'm here to deliver a letter." Yes, it was best to be direct.

"You leave letters in the mail box; you know those box things outside of each house on this block!" Eva answered despairingly, when she saw the question mark floating above the cat woman's head as she shook her head, at the words 'mail box'.

Continuing to shake her head gently, Sotai merely announced, "I was ordered to deliver it in person and, subsequently, return with a response."

The Earther girl sighed, well at least now they were going somewhere, "You could have knocked at the door, before you came in!"

Seemingly taking this into account, Sotai looked at 'Molly' with a confused glance, "But, when I called at the door, your papa slammed it in my face, WHEN I LOOKED HUMAN!!!"

Looking at the feline oddly, Eva just had to wonder what eighteen year old in their right mind still called their dads 'papa', "Right…well, did you do something to upset him?" she asked in an even voice.

Sitting down on the floor, clearly sulking, the Perkgurean's partner only pouted, "I only asked him if I could have some of his ice-cream, but he only screamed at me to go away and that he'd call the cops if I didn't."

Eva ah'ed in understanding, "So, you decided to come back when you knew **I** was here and he wasn't."

Shrugging once more, Sotai merely told her, "Yeah, well…here's your letter. Please, answer promptly."

As she took the letter, "Uh…so, who's it from?" the human girl asked. Secretly hoping it wasn't another Para-dice – maybe her older sister - out to blast away her house.

Seemingly cheering up at the change of topic, she promptly answered, "Hmmm…well, I call him Avy Jay!"

It was true; Jordan swore she was out to send him to the nut house.

Eva rocked her brain, she was sure she knew nobody with that name. Plus, there was no name on the envelope.

Jordan had yet to get the hang of sending letters. The rules just never stuck.

"He's another one of you non-magic using Earthers." The Gazian added, helpfully.

"Oh, Jordan!" deduced 'Molly', whose entire disposition towards the letter in her hands did a 180.

"Right, him!" mumbled Sotai, faintly.

As she wrote her long-distance compatriot and friend, 'Molly' asked Sotai something, "What's Cinophobia?

Sotai while eyeing a book on her shelf merely responded in stride, "Fear of dogs."

"You fear dogs?" Eva tried to ask in an understanding voice. This WAS a cat girl.

"Not a day of my life." Sotai flatly answered, clearly remembering her lupine companion.

**End of flashback**

_The moral of THAT story would be:_ Sotai likes to mess with people, so you should probably be as specific as can be when you ask her something.

Personally, Molly liked Sotai better than Shinji.

Give the feline some ice-cream and a book, and she'll be a sweet, calm, childishly cheerful and extremely helpful for hours and she, also, amazingly seemed to be well informed on quite a number of topics like Greek, Latin, and history - just to name a few.

In the end, Eva decided to share her wisdom on how to get Sotai to calm down, with Jordan. He needed it much more than she did. What better way to help out a friend, than to give him a solution to a domestic problem that he'd probably have to live with for the rest of his life?

But, Shinji was only nice, if she wrote her response fast enough. He had a low tolerance for horse play and seemed to be just as big of a jerk as Don Wei had been before he had realized who she was.

There were days when he seemed almost silently apologetic that he always treated her that way and tried to at least stay out of her way, as he looked out of her window in what she could only describe as his human form. But, those moments seemed to come only once a year.

The Perkgurean's human form seemed to only be described as tall, dark and handsome but in the weird way that's like the 'kid everybody tries to stay away from, because he seems like a juvenile delinquent that chopped his parents head's off', does.

Sure, he was lean, not too buff; tall enough to talk to him without hurting your neck from angling your head higher than was comfortable; had a sort of wind swept look to his shoulder length hair that was always pulled back into a pony tail; and was dark, enough, with his black trench coat, black slacks and just as black hair. But, his emerald colored eyes seemed to judge your soul whenever you looked into them.

His attitude, too, if he were a girl, would be described as that of a bitchy ice-queen.

Almost like that old hag Miranda - from that old movie she fished out of the basement and played on the old DVD player – the movie's title was something like…'The Devil Wears Prada' or something like that.

Eva didn't, however, figure out why her dad freaked out so much when he first met Sotai. She'd only seen Sotai's human form and her cat-girl form – they HAD first met on Halloween, after all - , but the female Earther never had seen the indigo-eyed girl's real form, EVER.

She HAD seen the shadows literally lurking in her eyes, just like Jordan had mentioned in one of his letters.

Neither Earther knew what to make of that, so they asked an alien about it.

But, King Aikka only knew that Gazians freaked out the Crogs and they never mentioned why.

Deciding to risk asking Sotai about Gazians, the only useful – if you could call it that – information she got was that you should NEVER EVER call a Gazian a 'bitch' or the son of one, if you wanted to have a longer life and actually have something to bury when you died.

However, Sotai was a bit more forthcoming when asked about why the Crogs feared Gazians. Well, sort of. She laughed about that one for a good ten minutes before answering.

It seems that only one Gazian had gone to visit the Crog planet. And, that one visit had scared the Crogs, so much, that they swore to run in fear, no matter what, if they ever saw that Gazian again. In fact, Sotai was pretty sure they taught so in the Crog schools.

Sotai confided to 'Molly' that the Gazian in question was an immortal, part of the Ancients. Jordan had to ally himself with five of the one-hundred and eighty that exist, and this one just so happened to be one of the few that refused to be part of any sort of alliance with the Avatar.

**DaCat**: Ok I've been sick the last few days…so if this chapter seems weird to you…it's most likely because of that.

Thanks to crazyvegimab for the tip…I didn't know I had the anonymous reviews disabled nnU!!!

By the way, The University of Akron is a real university in the US…I think it's in Ohio.

For those of you who don't know what a Terran is, it's a word that derives from the word terra that means Earth in Latin. It's mostly used in science fiction stories, though, when they talk about humans.

I also plead for help! I'm sort of stuck in a Spanish speaking country where Oban is not only in Spanish but it's also stuck in the first season and all I know about the second one is off of forums and what little I find on know where I can actually see the entire second season?

Fushica I'm not exactly sure about that. I'll look it up. But, if he is, then I'm sure neither one would come to look for him, specifically, they have too much to do, despite what Jordan thinks.

I'm sure everyone would love to know why Satis was more popular with Sotai and Shinji.

**SWT**: (Evil Laughter) One Gazian made the Crogs cry like babies, LMFAO! Poor Shinji he got yelled at and tripped over a coffee table.

Both DaCat and I enjoy writing this so we are going to do our best effort to not bore you.

Please be patient for the next chapter because we are going to introduce the bad guys soon and believe me when I say you're not going to believe us when we say they are bigger threats than the Crogs and make Sotai go screaming in the opposite direction.


	5. Molly’s Busy Day

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 5: Molly's Busy Day**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

It was one of those days in which Sotai had brought yet another of the many letters she had to bring.

Shinji said it was her turn. Then, again, Shinji said she put the fear of God in anything that got to know her well enough.

If Shinji knew her well enough to say such things, did that mean she put the fear of God in him, too? Hmmm…maybe, she'd ask him when she got back.

Since, it was the end of Molly's second to last semester at her university; she was going to have to stay for about three weeks, as she waited for her reply.

It was while coming to that horrid conclusion that the female Gazian took out her old borrowed copy of 'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett, she'd try to finish it in the meantime - no use cursing the fates, they always felt the need to get back at you four times as much, at the least expected of times.

She had found the book right along side the old DVD collection Molly had in her basement – which could easily be classified as a messy museum of stuff from the early 1990's up to now.

Asking for permission to stay for the next three weeks from Wei papa, was simply best left to Miss Molly, she surmised as she continued to read about the Antichrist's Spanish – but working up to be British – Inquisition.

She definitely liked this Antichrist person, Adam - even if he was only eleven - ; torture was always meant to be good fun.

She had to read the entire New Testament, according to Jordan, to be able to understand what the Antichrist was.

If the book hadn't been so amusing up until now…she would have…made Jordan practice politics twice as much with Shinji AND have to do the usual workload of evil, yet useless paperwork for making her do such a pointless thing…yeah, that would have done it!

Sotai evilly chuckled to herself as she kept reading her book.

Eva had the difficult task to plead for permission to have the cat-girl stay over…until she could properly write a letter back to Jordan.

The younger Wei needn't had bothered to get all worked up, for when she told Don Wei that Sotai needed to stick around longer than usual, he seemed to be quite…relieved?

"Well, you see Eva, I just received a call and it seems that the team ran into some trouble with the authorities over in Nigeria. I tried to sort things out on phone, but…" he gave a sigh tired sigh at this, "it seems that I need to sign certain documents and personally go over some things with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs."

He smiled down at her, "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back in a couple weeks. Actually, I'm glad you have someone to stay with."

While, Don Wei did in fact recognize that Sotai had been the psycho at the door that had asked him for a 'taste' of his ice-cream, - he later found out that from where she came from it was considered good manners to ask about the going-on's of the person they're talking to and the only thing Sotai knew about him, at the moment, was that he had been eating ice-cream – he had grudgingly let her keep coming around – she wouldn't stop coming, anyway – and, besides, she WAS extremely polite and helped around as she waited for Eva to give her the written reply she needed to give to the Avatar.

Being nice and polite is a necessity, Sotai had decided earlier in her life, it got things done with half the energy and kept things logical – people were more likely to tell you interesting things if they felt comfortable, and less likely to keep secrets that you had to pry from them.

Ever since Oban, whenever Eva had a 'feeling' about something it almost always was right, and right now it was going haywire. However, she simply grinned a little and asked if she could accompany him to the airport.

Returning to get her coat, so she could go with Don Wei, Molly decided to question her 'feeling'. "Are you behind this?" Eva demanded from her new temporal house-mate.

Seemingly annoyed at being torn away from finding out what the aliens wanted from witchfinder Newt Pucifer, she looked at Eva "Am I behind, what?"

"Nigeria!" the Earther exclaimed.

Calmly looking at her human friend Sotai merely shook her head, "I reserve such nefarious plots for my master. Sorry, to say that I have more important things to do than make things more amusing." getting up to usher her friend quickly out the front door, "Go on, your papa's waiting for you!"

Sighing to herself as she waved them off, as they left in their car, "Shinji's reported having seen a Zydeco ship lurking around, and that's enough to make me behave!" Locking the door behind her, Sotai went to sit in the living room.

Taking out an oval shaped cell-phone, the Gazian pressed in the number, "Gouhuu(Go-hoo) Shinji!" she chirped into the receiver, as she got told off on the other side. "I have to ask you something!" she quickly interrupted, halting her partner's rant, "You know that normally I wouldn't call for something stupid – I'm still pissed off at you, after all."

She stopped at something said on the other line, "Yes, I know I'm a vindictive wench, but can I, please, continue…Thank you!" she dully answered into the receiver.

"Jordan is getting better at magic, don't you think?" Sotai muttered out of the blue.

There was a silence before an accepting sound was heard, on the other end.

"I think that bothering the hell out of him actually helped, don't you?"

Hearing a grumbling sound on the other end, she grinned a bit, "Of course, it worked. He's been retaliating and trying to find some way to get back at me for the last 10 and a half years!" she cackled.

After a long gurgle of noise on the other side, most likely criticizing her methods, the indigo-eyed woman airily answered, "Yeah, I get it. But, you have to admit my way IS faster!"

After, clearly, a moment of ranting on the other line, "Well, if you want to know my poi…SHUT UP YOU STUPID DOG!!!...better, now my point IS if you think Jordan could start handling problems now? Real problems, like the kind that would happen if the Zydeco start acting up or some moron decides that they'd like to blast this galaxy to pieces." The Gazian assistant huffed into the mouthpiece.

The Perkgurean seemed to take a moment to consider this before voicing his thoughts to his more devious counterpart.

Listening, while thrumming her fingers on her lap, Sotai seemed to be agreeing with something he said. But, then "Stop with the Kanaletto references. I'm well aware that Avy Jay sees the world in yellows, greens and oily vanillas!"

Clearly, at her must-not-kill-people-I-know limit, Sotai opted to safely end their conversation, "I have to go remind Molly that I need her to answer darling Avy Jay's letter, I hate you, bye-bye!!" she hung up.

Well that had been pretty useless.

Sure, she now knew what Shinji thought about the situation, but she was already aware that Jordan could take on Kanaletto – both of them had a pretty biased way of seeing the world and they both seemed to need to get their asses handed to them before they got too carried away with things – in attitude, as well as powers.

Damn be-nice-to-your-master charm, it totally ruined any possibility of straightening out Beaky-chan!

At least, Jordan was less inclined towards taking over the universe, trashing it and then making a new one.

Plus, he had grown a sense of humor.

He booby-trapped every centimeter of the hallway, from her room to the kitchen, every morning, in hopes she'd fall into one of them and die…or be in some form of pain. Pain was good, too.

Getting up, to get herself a snack, promptly leaving the little sofa she had been sitting on, Sotai all of a sudden realized something. Nigeria. Molly had said something about Nigeria and Wei papa going there.

She hoped she was wrong.

Heimdall had been there recently. The schemer of her childhood friends normally increased the malevolence of the bureaucracy level, wherever he went.

If Wei papa had to do any type of paperwork…he'd be stranded there for weeks and would surely come back with high stress levels.

Hmmm…maybe, she should make dinner or something that night. To let them relax. Molly, due to the stress caused by her exams and term papers. Don Wei, because Heimdall had ruined any possibility of him having a nice stay in a foreign country.

As she started munching on a sandwich she just made, Sotai heard someone at the door. Thinking it was Eva, she went to open the door.

As she looked at the people on the porch, the Gazian couldn't help but laugh silently in the back of her mind. Molly dearest, was late for her date.

Pulling up on the drive way, Eva noticed that there were government jeeps in front of her house.

It was an odd thing, she mused to herself, mostly because they only appeared the night she had her monthly…oh no, Aikka!

How could she have forgotten! She's only been doing this for the last couple YEARS!!

Slamming the car door shut and racing into the house, the Earther girl yelled behind her that she'd be dressed in a minute, just as she started to zoom up the stairs.

The government officials really had no choice in the matter, but to wait for the late girl.

Really, what could have taken her so long that they now had to wait for her. She DID know for an entire seven days the date and time of this entire get together AND she had been doing this for quite a while, every month.

As for the other one, well…what kind of a person answers the door, "Yo, about Eva she's going to be…hey, how much botox did you guys put on to get that expression? I've been trying, forever, to get that indifferent look of pure apathy on my face, but you guys…you guys, got it down pat!" in the most cheerful disposition they'd ever heard…seriously, was she high?

Molly hurriedly thundered down the stairs and grabbed Sotai's arm, "OK, we're ready! Let's go!" before tugging the surprise stricken feline towards the cars.

"Hey, wait a minute," the startled cat-girl whined, "What do you mean we?"

Continuing to half-drag half-push the Gazian into a jeep, Eva answered quickly, "I want you to meet Aikka."

"But, but, I don't wanna! My book, Oh come on Molly, my book. I want to finish my book! Not, meet royalty! I've already met royalty…it's boring and stupid and did I mention that I know things they want me dead for! No!!!!" Sotai pleaded as they finally managed to push her into the jeep and drove away.

The Earther girl couldn't believe it. Sotai seemed to actually fear…royalty. What kind of fobia was that? "Really, does this mean that the fearless Sotai is actually afraid of something?" Eva teased the younger looking girl.

Twitching slightly in her seat, the indigo-eyed female responded nervously, "You've never had someone spear you through the heart, because you 'know too much'!" mumbling the cliché phrase, as if mimicking the voice of whoever she was currently remembering.

Snorting, Molly reassured her companion, "Somehow, I doubt you'd know anything about Aikka that'd get you 'speared through the heart' this time, so relax!"

Narrowing her eyes a fraction, Sotai knew she'd just better keep her mouth shut. She'd been alive too long to know that Miss Molly had just paved way for Murphy's Law. In the name of all things holy, she hated that phenomenon!

Finally, arriving at the installations the girls were directed to the room that had been set up for the personal vid-conference they'd be having.

It was a nice beige room, which was well-lit due to the many glowing phosphorescent lights on the ceiling, and had two comfortable seats placed in front of the 41 inch monitor.

Sotai, immediately sat herself down to try to read a couple sentences more of her book before Molly's 'hot date' arrived - as the Gazian put it.

After a few short minutes – to the twitching girl's dismay – the vid-phone came to life and on the other end stood the Nourasian King, himself.

Sighing in quiet agony, she looked up at the young monarch's face. Yep, it was him, alright.

Every time, Shinji had allowed himself to, literally, howl - in his native tongue - out of frustration, Aikka's name had been spewed out, as if he had committed the worst of crimes.

To Shinji, anything that gave him a headache was only half a level lower than mass genocide. Not much difference, at all.

Keep in mind, that Aikka had done nothing to Shinji or Sotai. If truth be told, when Shinji had first met him they had actually hit it off. That had been about seven months ago.

But, the problem began when the Nourasian's ancestors started appearing in the mortal plane.

This affected the Perkgurean quite a bit. He was the Guardian of Destruction and, by default, was a medium. So, he had to hear all of the Nourasian's dead family rant about 'that which Aikka's been a coward about', the last half year.

Eva stood up to greet the Nourasian royalty. "King Aikka, I'm so glad to see you, again!" she gladly chirped.

"I am glad to see you too, Molly. I thought that maybe something had happened when you hadn't arrived on time." His Majesty honestly stated, worry tainting his voice.

Nervously laughing to herself, the Terran woman clarified, "Well you see I got caught in traffic, on my way here."

"Uhmmm…but anyway, I brought Sotai with me so you could meet her." She quickly changed the topic.

Sotai had never met Aikka before.

Not, because she didn't want to. Even if both she and Molly thought it was irrelevant to meet a person that neither side seemed interested in meeting.

But, because the topic of whether or not Molly could bring people with her was only recently brought up…and Aikka was kind of curious as to how Jordan threatening to sic Sotai on him was a bad thing. Eva, after reading one of Jordan's letters, had at one point thought this amusing enough to tell Aikka.

Sotai, realizing it was her turn to speak, as she returned to reality, quickly continued, "I, Lady Sotai of the Akatsuki clan of Gaz, announce my well wishes and salutes the high throne of Nourasia" she bowed to Aikka.

Aikka and Molly seemed to be a bit in awe of Sotai's formality. Molly because the Gazian female was always so informal around her and had never seemed to so much as care about propriety. Aikka, because he hadn't expected any non-Nourasian to know the greeting the courtiers gave the king.

Becoming a bit graver before an amused grin spread among his features, "I hadn't realized that Gazians knew Nourasian customs, although I must say that I find it odd that you exchanged respect for well wishes."

Merely shrugging in calm amusement, the indigo-eyed girl reflexively responded, "I am an old being, your majesty, and am responsible for giving my master a fair understanding of those under his reign. Besides, I am of those who think respect is earned and not lightly given, just as I told the 11th king before you."

Almost as if pondering something else, she added, "He says hi, by the way, and wants you to stop putting off that thing that you've refused to tell 'that' person for the last six months." She innocently nodded to herself, secretly fingering her book.

Well, if it got things done…

Eva seemed a tad confused at the feline's words. "What's that supposed to mean? Sotai stop trying to tease Aikka, it's not very nice!" the Lady of the Akatsuki clan stopped fingering her book. Apparently, she wasn't going to see it anytime soon.

However it seemed that Aikka understood exactly what Sotai was saying. "How do you know?" he asked in cautious manner.

Eyeing the two creatures that were fixedly staring at her, she explained herself, "I know a medium that's trying to get him to shut up. By the way, he's been trying to figure out what 'Bezora kafi nohteh kozer fenowei' means? Any help you could give us would be most appreciated." It was nice and simple, and not too revealing.

This news seemed to have put the Nourasian majesty into shock, "Ah…Maybe, it would be best if we continue this conversation on another day. Miss Sotai has brought to my attention to some urgent matters I have to attend to. Goodbye, Molly. As always it has been a pleasure!" and immediately the vid-phone's connection had been cut.

Molly and Sotai stood staring at the monitor for a couple seconds more, and then "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SCARED HIM OFF!" Eva howled, looking absolutely murderous as she chased the cat-girl around the room. "But I didn't do anything!" whimpered the feline as she ran around their chairs, hoping to create some sort of a barrier between the two.

"COME BACK HERE!!!" bellowed the Terran youth, as her Gazian friend leapt for the door and barreled down the hallway, outside.

Madly dashing and zooming around corners, in hopes of losing her future executioner, Sotai could only wish that the next three weeks would go quickly. There was only so much dodging and running and screaming she could do before Eva got creative.

"I'M GONNA RIP YOU TO PIECES SOTAI!!!!** GET BACK HERE!!!!**" Molly bellowed as they past a couple guards, who only looked confused at what was happening, before they too joined the fray.

"I don't wannAAAA!!" squealed the surprised Gazian, as she noticed that her Earther friend was gaining on her.

'Jeez!' thought the Avatar's female assistant, as she turned another corner, 'all this over a guy!'

**DaCat**: Well, this last chapter was meant to prove a point…a point that will be explained in later chapters. Anyone who has any questions, feel free to make them.

Now, to explain a couple points in the story. First off, Sotai gives everyone she knows for a certain amount of time a nickname. Beaky-chan was Kanaletto's, Avy Jay is Jordan's, and Shinji's is Dog Boy. As for Molly's…well her's comes out in another chapter.

Secondly, to all who don't know, when talking about the size of a TV monitor or any monitor, in general, it is measured diagonally in inches, IN EVERY COUNTRY. Unlike, the way we measure things by height and width.

Thirdly, I'd like to mention that I made Sotai say that type of greeting to Aikka because…I've been rereading the 'Hobbit', lately. Surely, you all remember how Gandalf has a special greeting for different creatures they meet, as well as, a special farewell. I wanted to make something similar, just not as colorful; they have knights and stuff, so I thought it was appropriate.

Finally, I know neither Molly nor Aikka would react that way, especially given that they have grown up a bit since Oban. But, Sotai has a presence that at best makes you nervous and at worst makes you feel like a rabbit that has its head in the wolf's maw. Although, Molly seems set to only get annoyed with her…for some reason. No fear at all, just general annoyance.

Of course, I'd love you all to review and tell me what you think. wink wink

**SWT**: Aikka dearest is going to go boom!! Is Molly going to catch Sotai? Probably. Is Avy Jay ever going to get a better nickname? Not really. Is Shinji ever going to get rid of the voices in his head and therefore get more screen time? No and Yes. Shall I ever stop liking this? Not really.

(Singing) I love, Pringles!! I love, Pringles!! (Stops singing) I really do. Bye bye!!


	6. Patrolling is always fun…

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 5: Patrolling is always fun…when you're alone!**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

If you ever wondered how it was that Avatar Jordan kept an eye on the entire galaxy, you would probably be amused to know that his assistants were the ones to do everything he couldn't or, in some cases, didn't have the time to do.

Patrolling, was probably one of those couldn't do's. Not because he didn't know how or have the power to do so, but because any type of long distance teleporting got him sick to his knees.

According to his assistants, when they were in one of those 'let's be helpful' moods, this was a type of magical induced motion sickness that affected people when they used great amounts of magic to transport their bodies long distances. Say light years.

It was an ailment that affected certain mortals - not immortals; Avatars, because of how they come to be, need about fifteen human years for their immortality to kick in. This magically induced motion sickness happened enough times for two assistants to have a back-up plan.

Said back-up plan was that they'd do the work and write up reports, which Jordan would later have to look at. Jordan was getting extremely tired of having to do so much paperwork, by now, and it was ONLY his eleventh year in office.

Shinji truthfully couldn't care less. The Avatar only remained mortal for the first fifteen human years after the Great Race, and in only four more years Jordan would be going over his own reports. Whilst he and Sotai would be back to patrolling the Milky Way, in search of offences dealt by Ancients or any other being, capable of its destruction. The really big threats, Kanaletto had shuddered at instigating.

The Perkgurean had always liked patrolling. It allowed him to clear his mind of all his frustrations and annoyances…and he liked the exercise. Sotai had once teased him, that it was his version of being walked by his master, like a pet dog.

That statement didn't really bother him much, although he'd prefer Sotai's company on walks, he was so used to her company. She always had something interesting to say or have an amusing anecdote to tell, and was less inclined to tease him relentlessly - murder and torture him - , when she thought nobody was looking…and they didn't touch a taboo subject for them.

It truly annoyed him when Jordan had actually gone through with his threat to make them his personal mailman and woman.

Sotai had looked downright mutinous when Jordan had said 'mailmen'. "Do I look like a guy to you?"

The Lycan's new master, didn't seem to understand that combing the galaxy is a fulltime job, and that they didn't have time to be personally sending his mail to anybody, not to Molly and definitely NOT to his banshee of a mother – she always screamed at the sight of his real form and insisted his human form was anemic.

Today, however, the object of his annoyance was another; King Aikka's ancestor of the week, just so happened to be the seventeenth King before him, King Vessu. He was a nice guy and had been generally on the OK side…when he was alive.

In the canine's opinion, anybody who could follow him when he talked about exorcism, generally, were intelligent individuals.

The fact that the spirit didn't seem to get the hint, only implied that said intelligence only went so far.

His problem with the dead King was centered on his majesty's tendency to explain and re-explain all the things he would have done had he been in Aikka's sandals.

The down side of being a medium was that ghosts got really obsessive with something and they'd only talk about that, until something else caught their interest and you had no choice but to hear it all. The one experience that for ever and a day would always grate Shinji's nerves.

It actually amazed him that his conversation with the ghost on exorcisms had lasted as long as it had.

Anyhow, Shinji had been patrolling the Crog's side of the galaxy, with only Vessu as company.

At the moment he wished he was alone. Vessu was currently blabbing about something or another – something about Aikka being too interested in the arts, and not as interested in hunting as a young man should be - , poking the Perkgurean's shoulder every so often to make sure he was still listening.

This was supposed to be a very discreet operation. The Crogs and the Zydeco seemed to be having meetings every week for the last month. Very suspicious, coming from two species whose specialty was to conquer others. Even more suspicious was that they were both from different galaxies. What could the Zydeco hope to earn from an alliance with the Crogs, more importantly, was there something to be earned?

He had nearly been caught as he spied on the gathering…many times.

Vessu seemed to be unfazed that Crogs were lurking around every corner and that Shinji was desperately trying to stay out of sight.

Vessu was from a time where Crogs weren't anything to fear and their technology was equal to human technology from the mid nineteen-nineties; nothing to fear, for anyone from another planet.

And as such, thought that poking the annoyed Perkgurean was a harmless way to gain the lycan's attention, despite that he did so during the times Shinji was trying to inconspicuously stay hidden from guards that were getting to close for comfort.

The Lycan wasn't able to scare his supernatural companion into submission without being discovered and he surmised that only the help of another being could have made the situation less difficult. The alien werewolf deeply wished that his partner… or, at least, his master were there to keep him company.

Sotai would have only needed to look at Vessu to shut him up. She had the glorious gift that, whenever you saw her real eyes, you'd do anything for her not to hurt you. It was a real pity that she would have fled in fear if she knew that she was on the same continent as a Zydeco.

As for Jordan, well he could have practiced a Phasmatis charm on himself, nearby, in a safe location and kept Vessu busy, by having to listen to whatever the dead King had to say. The semi-immortal Earther, needed to practice each type of magic available to him and it would have been a good experience, for his master - and a silent afternoon, for him. Alas, his master's problems with distances were still an issue.

At the moment, Vessu was seemingly having a bit of trouble expressing himself and had allowed Shinji an opportunity to get a better chance at listening in on the conversation between the two delegations.

In the Crog conference room, the delegations seemed to be quarrelling about something.

"Come on, all we need to know is why," the Zydeco ambassador whined childishly, "I mean, we can't all be good bud'ies if you can't squish stupid ants, right?"

Shinji could hear the spokes-crog of this event - try to reign in every instinct in his body to squish the Zydeco in front of him - give an exasperated sigh, "The Avatar is human, and because he is loyal to his own, we cannot harm Earth."

'Ah, so they're after Earth,' the Perkgurean thought to himself. "Buts, whats can he dos? Avatars are so lame, I bets he won't do nothing!" the childish ambassador, arrogantly proclaimed.

Not being able to look inside, Shinji didn't know how the Crog were taking such a bold statement.

He, however, knew the Zydeco knew Sotai was around.

Little bastards probably thought it would be fun to say, 'hi' and scare her to high hell. 'Well…it would be funny', he secretly thought to himself, as a small smile appeared over his wolfish features.

Although, it was strange that they weren't aware that the Porter of the Book of Life was around, too. That pedio-graphic mad woman probably thought it would be funny to sneak up on the damn Zydeco. Gazians…

The Crog in the other room growled, "Do not underestimate the Avatar! He single handedly disabled our fleets on Earth and on Nourasia, at the same time."

The Lycan sweat dropped; well it was always better to be overestimated, if it got your enemies to step back for a while.

A different Zydeco in the room huffed incredulously, as the first one answered, "Maybe, thats why yous can't get the third rock. You know wes need the amulet thingy to keeps the Head Huntress away an it on Earth."

Trying to fade into the shadows as another Crog passed by, Shinji couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about.

"If you won't do your stuff, then we will do it for you!" the Zydeco's childish tone produced a rough quality, in the last statement.

Just as the otherworldly werewolf leaned in to hear more, his dead companion gave him an unexpected poke in the side, causing him to let out an involuntary yelp.

Hearing people coming, the Perkgurean decided to cut his losses short and retreat.

He had heard enough to have a clue on what was soon going to become a problem.

Earth was going to be in big trouble and, sooner or later, his Master would have to prove his mettle as Avatar against the Zydeco.

Telling Sotai and Jordan about what he had learned would be a nightmare, he knew.

They'd be hysterical for hours…well Sotai would…Jordan would probably be pretty confused when they told him that his planet was going to be turned into a desert-like wasteland by the Zydeco's threatening cuteness…and thousands of war ships and…**politicians**.

You could never forget a Zydeconian politician, the inherent annoyingness – although, Sotai was convinced that it was **_evilness_** – of the entire culture seemed to be magnified seventeen times more, in only their speech…like any other politician, naturally.

But, first things, first. "Vessu…your useless chatter has interrupted my mission. I am sending you back to the Land of the Dead." The Perkgurean dryly stated, as he wrote a number of runes in the dirt.

Shifting uncertainly, Vessu inquired, "Is this because your secretary didn't want to come with us?" Hesitating momentarily, the Guardian of Destruction answered, "Sotai is my partner, not my secretary." returning to circling one of the runes he just made, as Vessu skeptically muttered, "Right…you're tryst with her, come to screeching halt, then? Don't worry; it happens to the best of us."

Pausing once more, Shinji looked at his ectoplasmic companion with an arched eyebrow. Seriously, just how much DID seventeen generations change the Nourasians?

Without another word, the Perkgurean unsheathed his sword and touched the newly drawn magic circle, sending the long dead king back to where he belonged. Stealthily, sealing the long dead Nourasian's essence in the spirit realm, as he went.

King Aikka must take after his father's mother's side. Both he and the former monarch seemed too normal, to be directly related to King Vessu.

Now, to tell the master of the Milky Way, about the intruders.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the galaxy, Sotai was just returning from another epic adventure, filled with appeasing Molly and trying not to force Aikka to tell her about his engagement, as she as tried to finish another book.

As she started her trek back to Oban, her left ear started to warm up followed by a light throbbing feeling; for the Gazian, this could only mean that bad news was coming her way.

Considering how many people hated her, she didn't think too much about it. She'd already survived everything else they'd thrown at her.

Pity, she would think otherwise a day later.

**DaCat**: I've got a feeling that I should start explaining certain things.

First of, the third rock reference, for anyone who didn't know, was another way to say Earth. Like the show 'Third Rock from the Sun', I loved that show.

And the second was that belief of the left ear heating up. That's a belief I've heard of while living in Peru. Supposedly, if your right ear heats up someone is saying something good about you, and if it's your left then it's something bad. I kind of tweaked it to fit my story, as you can see.

Anybody, with questions can ask me through reviews, private messages or send me an e-mail to I'd also love it if you'd tell me what you like about my story, so I can continue doing so.

**SWT**: You have no idea how much she's been jumping around ever since she got reviews, I swear she'll jump into the ceiling if the review actually get to 100. Anyway, Vessu creeps me out, I'm seriously wondering if he's related to Aikka at all and I'm just as seriously questioning how was it that he had a full-fledged talk about exorcism with Shinji and not get the point at all.

DaCat is really creepy sometimes, but I guess that's a good thing. Love ya all, Byez


	7. Threatening Cuteness

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 7: Threatening Cuteness like the Zydeco**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Sotai pathetically whined to herself, as she huddled in a corner, continuously rocking back and forth.

Jordan, who had never seen Sotai in such a state of panic, couldn't help but look a little uneasy, despite not understanding the situation.

Turning to the impassive wolf man that had taken to leaning on the wall, after delivering his news, "Why, is it so bad that the Zydeco have an alliance with the Crogs, if you said they're not interested in conquering anyone?

Twitching one of his ears, Shinji looked at his master for a moment, as if trying to think of the best way to explain himself, "Both the Zydeco and the Crog are essentially like…Vikings. They revere war and raid the worlds they conquer. If they are coming together in an alliance…then there is a high interest in what either side will gain, by working together."

Piteously whining in the corner, Sotai observed how her partner tactfully informed their master of future headaches.

"So…do you know what they want? What they're gaining?" Jordan prodded hoping Shinji would continue. Sotai didn't seem to look too promising at filling in the blanks, today.

Seemingly listening to something from a far, the Perkgurean muttered, "It's not my fault your planet seems to be very popular with our enemies."

"Mind running that by me, again?" the Avatar asked hoping he had heard wrong.

Paying attention to what's around him once more, the Lycan answered accordingly, "It seems that both the Crog and the Zydeco have found interest in an item that can be found on Earth."

Thoughtfully moving from his post against the wall to sit on the floor near his female companion, "They need to join forces to be able to acquire said item. The Crogs feel they need extra help against you and the Zydeco, being from another galaxy, need guides…I guess."

Jordan's disposition seemed to brighten up at this; his assistant's news didn't seem to be too dire. "Well, that doesn't seem to be too bad; I mean, all I have to do is give 'em what they want and they'll go away, right?"

Snorting, Shinji disagreed, "I said they're like Vikings. They don't ask or beg. They raid."

"So…we blow them up, then?" Jordan confusedly asked.

Sotai quickly grew silent as she looked at her master, who started to tremble in his seat, under her gaze.

Getting sick of how his master didn't seem to get it the nice way, Shinji decided that he'd be blunt, "Maybe, in an ideal world, but you can't really do anything more then talk them out of it. They aren't causing unrest in the galaxy, just exterminating a race that holds no real power or influence. We can only watch, but not interfere."

Jordan understood that loud and clear…a little too clear. A moment later Shinji was sitting next to two hysterical beings, one near tears and the other complaining about the unjustness of their position.

He knew things would be rough…he just hadn't thought Jordan had it in him to be so loud…and bitchy.

A couple days later Sotai was shipped off to visit Eva, with only - you guessed it - another letter, as to why she'd be staying the next couple of months with her.

Meanwhile, Shinji and Jordan would talk things over with the Zydeco and, hopefully, change their minds.

Sotai's intense fear of the childish Zydeco, inhibited her ability to help them much more than give them references on what to do, what not to do, and social etiquette.

She also sent Jordan a HUGE list of things he should never say. Her master never finished reading it…it was just too long!

So, being stuck with Molly, during the Earth girl's summer vacation, meant that the two had a lot of time to spend with each other.

This explains how Eva Wei was the first mortal human being to know that Earth would be in trouble, once again.

Jordan's letter really didn't say much. It only mentioned that Sotai wasn't being much help with a problem that could involve Earth and if she could watch over her.

Yeah, Jordan was really articulate about important things, like asking for favors from friends, at the last minute. Eva had to cancel an internship she had been offered, in Sweden.

Thus, Sotai had been, properly, bullied into spilling the beans. Her beloved ice-cream had been on the line, naturally.

"What's going on?" Sotai winced at Molly's tone. She was blunt, very blunt, Shinji-like blunt…the Gazian could tell…her ice-cream was in peril.

Eva just spent too much time with Shinji, that now they seemed to act similar. It was truly terrifying.

Before the evil girl could contaminate her ice-cream any more, with the wretched un-refrigerated room temperature, the cat-girl did the reasonable…demand the release of hostages. "Not, until, you let my precious go!"

Molly looked at her 'guest' oddly, "Have you been reading the 'The Lord of the Rings'?

Looking slightly sheepish, the indigo-eyed girl responded, "Well, the entire trilogy, no. But, I have read 'The Hobbit' and the first two books."

"Right, well your ice-cream isn't going back into the fridge 'til you tell me what's happening!" Eva threatened the playfully annoyed Gazian that, mind you, hadn't so much as tried to recover the endangered dessert, yet.

Sotai couldn't say she didn't have a choice, unless there had been a good reason to tell Molly what was happening. This was as close as it got to willingly telling her friend how and what was about to happen. Nobody had told her to keep this a secret, but it was always good to have a scapegoat.

"Fine," Sotai, sniffled, as though truly worried about the fate of her beloved rum-raisin, "just put it away. I swear, I'll tell you everything, just put it away!!!!" smiling in satisfaction at having gotten Sotai to say 'yes' so easily, Eva returned the tub of ice-cream to the fridge.

Sitting themselves on two chairs out on the porch, Molly started, "Well, what is going on? What is all this about?"

Sighing to herself, the Gazian maiden took the chopsticks out of her messy bun, letting her hair fall down to her mid-back and laid back in her chair, again, "Well, I guess the summed up version would be that the Zydeco and the Crogs have formed an alliance to be able to come and turn Earth into a wasteland, whilst they look for an item they both want. Avy Jay, doesn't like that very much, but can't do anything more than try to talk them out of it."

Sort of dazed, the Terran woman brashly persisted, "And, how's it that they dumped you on my front step?"

As if by chance, Molly turned to look at her companion in time to notice that her question had provoked a slight stiffening in the mischievous girl's shoulders. "Zydeco are evil incarnate." She acknowledged, as if it were mere fact.

"And, that affects you how?" the twenty-six year old woman prodded the eighteen year old looking alien.

Looking as if stuck in her thoughts, Sotai glared at the air in front of her, "Those **_things_** feed on people's souls; the more secrets, the tastier. I just so happen to be a mouth watering banquet on legs, that has the intelligence to run away and tell the tale another day."

Blinking, once, twice, "Say what?" the Earther woman asked dumbly. "They want to eat me and that freaks me out!" the Gazian simplified.

Nodding as she started to understand the situation, Eva asked, "So what do they look like? Just to know, what to look out for."

Chewing on her lip the Avatar's female assistant, described them, "Well, they're small, a little more than a foot tall, even. They don't look evil, either, buggers like to wear pastels, with bows and ribbons and too much bloody lace, to be healthy! Oh, and they look like a parody of a creature made to look like a synthetic replicate of an animal of your planet. You know the kind girls collect."

Molly stared at her Gazian friend, "They look like plushies?" shaking her head and crossing her arms, Sotai corrected her, "Teddy bears, actually!"

Laughing, Eva couldn't seem to find this un-funny, "Hahaha…you're afraid of…hehehe…teddy bears…hahaha!" Hurt pride etched all over her face, Sotai offensively countered, "Soul-sucking teddy-bears. Ones, that could give Chucky a run for his money!"

As Molly was about to continue poking fun at the Gazian's choice in things to fear, Don Wei came out the front door, "Having fun, girls?"

Turning around, both women greeted him. "Hi, Dad!", "Hey, Wei papa! Just telling anecdotes about stupid things that scared us, at one point or another" Sotai informed the elder man.

He nodded at that, "Well, that sounds interesting," turning to look at Eva, "I'm going to be upstairs doing paperwork, in case you girls need me." And just as easily went inside.

Thoughtfully ah-ing to herself, the Gazian mentioned, "Pretty busy guy, your papa." Agreeing silently Eva decided to continue their conversation, "Anyway, how DID Jordan take the fact that evil teddy bears are coming to destroy the Earth?"

"Well, I guess his grandpapa took it more seriously than he did." The indigo-eyed assistant pondered, "although, the old man did give Shinji an earful when we broke the news to Avy Jay."

If the Terran woman ears could twitch, now would be the perfect time, "His grandpa? Why'd his grandpa do that?"

Uncrossing and re-crossing her legs, the feline turned human shrugged, "Dunno, Shinji wasn't very clear about that." She mused.

Adding with an amused grin a couple seconds later, slightly tilting her head as she spoke, "It sure was funny that he sat next to me, just to get Avy Jay's grandpapa to stay away, though!"

Straightening herself to look Molly in the eye, "But, you know if you're so interested in ghosts that follow Shinji around; I could let you in on an interesting secret…for a price."

The catty grin, Sotai now sported, unnerved the Terran woman quite a bit. "You know, it's moments like these, that remind me why I hate you!"

As harsh as that statement was supposed to be, it only made Sotai laugh jovially, "Good golly Miss Molly," she teased her Earther friend, "Don't say such things! They hurt my feelings you know!"

"It was supposed to!" Eva dryly remarked. Giggling at the obvious cynicism, the Gazian answered mischievously, "Oh, you know you love me!"

_Only Fate - and on Bar nights, Destiny, too – could know just what the next couple of months time._

"Hey Diva Eva, it's your birthday in three months, right? Want something in particular?" The Gazian asked her friend. "Stop calling me that!!!" Eva hissed at her impish friend, before calming down, "Hmmm…don't know. Why?"

"I'm a God and I grant wishes!" Sotai proclaimed childishly, only making Molly sweat drop at the absurdity. "Right, well I suppose you can turn day into night, destroy souls and bring the dead back to life"

Seemingly hurt at this, Sotai flailed her arms wildly, "But, I can do that…I'm just rusty!" she ended sheepishly.

_This demanded a miracle, really; maybe Jordan was up to playing a game of pool with Destiny's guardian. Aiden never understood what the big deal with pool was._

**DaCat**: Yay! I finished this quick! Before you ask, yes I meant the Zydeco to be evil teddies from the start…it was just too tempting and downright funny, not to.

'Diva Eva' and 'Good golly Miss Molly' are things that Sotai calls Molly just to annoy her. Yep, it's her nickname of doom!

Jordan's granddad does actually appear from time to time, to tell his grandson's assistants off for not being completely truthful with him. Only Shinji can see him, though Sotai by spending so much time with her stony partner can tell when he's talking to someone that by all means shouldn't be there.

Anyone who wants me to explain what Jordan's grandpa yelled at Shinji, just ask.

Ditto, for any other part, I'm not so clear about.

Remember, I need reviews to give me the courage to continue and to be able to know what I'm doing right! In a way, 'help me, entertain you.'

**SWT**: Sotai's GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Diva Eva doesn't know it yet. Fun!! I love reviews as you should know, however I have a special announcement to make. We need MORE ICE CREAM, especially rum raisin and minty-chocochip… it helps with the inspiration. (Nods head)

We love reviews and ice cream. PAX


	8. Everyone gets Fussy

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 8: Everyone gets Fussy at the End of the World**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

The two months were up and Jordan and Shinji were already dreading their fate.

You see, they kind of forgot a couple guidelines Sotai had explicitly told them not to forget, EVER.

That little slip-up on their part, sort of resulted in that the Zydeco were now absolutely positive they wanted to rip Earth to shreds, whilst they looked for whatever amulet they were looking for, AND, now, they wanted to invade Oban, too.

Sotai was going to kill them, they were sure of it!

In fact, they were so sure of it that Sotai was now towering over them, with pure bloodlust in her eyes, the Obanian storm at her back - giving an even greater dooming effect on the atmosphere, in the Avatar's palace.

Shinji and Jordan, five seconds ago had been turned into a couple of four year olds, were now huddling together hoping against hope that she wouldn't kill them.

Well, they couldn't die, per se, but torture was just as bad.

The Gazian enshrouded in shadows, whose real eyes were gazing down at the two boys, growled in unveiled annoyance.

The growl, reminisce of a tiger's, echoed down the palace halls as she narrowed her slitted glowing indigo eyes, pausing for a moment and then "I don't have time to be you're mother! YOU IDIOTS! How could you, so monumentally screw up?!"

Silence, greeted her outburst. Jordan, though seemed to gather his wits about him enough to say, "Well, I know you're angry, but…we can fix this, right?"

Ladies and gentlemen, whether or not any of you know the Gazian dialect of Supi is debatable, however, it is to be stated that cursing in said language sounds eerily similar to a Shaman dancing to the dark gods, so as to rain down horrible curses upon innocents; mixed with the cries of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorra, while fire rained down from the heavens.

A weird mix of Swahili and Hebrew, if you want to put it in layman's terms.

Shinji, who was the only one of the two that could appreciate what Sotai was saying, was utterly appalled at how creative she could swear; "I've never heard that one before." Well…he would have been, if he wasn't so satisfactorily scared out of his mind, to care.

Pacing the floor in front of the two men - turned toddlers - in agitated silence, she suddenly stood still, her back to them "I'm gonna run around for a while. If I see either one of you, before I calm down … I'll eat you." She finished with an air of finality…and left.

Untangling from each other's arms, when it was apparent the fuming Gazian was gone, both boys felt kind of dazed. Sotai rarely got that angry, EVER.

"I think you shouldn't have tried to lie to her." Shinji mumbled, forcefully trying to correctly articulate his words, whilst using the correct tone.

Snorting, Jordan responded in kind, wincing at how childish his voice sounded, "I didn't lie!"

Facing his master, Shinji gently informed him of something he possibly should have mentioned earlier, "You said, 'we can fix this, right?' If you don't believe it, it's a lie; a white lie is still a lie."

Looking at his assistant-turned-toddler, sputtering at the absurdity, "SO?!"

"Sotai is a Gazian," Shinji stated, "they can see through illusions. Lies are illusions of the mind."

The four year old Avatar, whined a little at this, "But, she says stuff like that all the time!...what are you doing?"

The Perkgurean who had taken to sucking his thumb, shrugged "Taking advantage of my second childhood. If I'm going to be a toddler, I'm going to act like one." In a dignified voice, sounding downright proud that he was sucking his thumb.

Arching an eyebrow at the medium, Jordan supposed Sotai's temper rattled a few screws loose in the saner of his assistants, "Yeah, well, how is it that she can say that stuff and I can't?" seemingly close to having a tantrum.

Pulling his thumb out of his mouth, to pat Jordan on the back, "On Gaz, being deceitful to someone is a joke or a sign of not being too serious about something. Kind of the reason, Gazians don't wear shoes – so their heel is touching the ground - while testifying in court or during serious moments. So as to prove, that they're being very serious about what they're talking about."

The Perkgurean concluded, "In other words, she thought you weren't taking this seriously."

Before the conversation between immortals could continue, Shinji felt the presence of something lurking in the shadows. A spirit had come to say 'hi'. "I hate to cut this short, but I have to tell something to Sotai, or else she really will look for a way to kill me. You stay here and practice the Phasmatis charm, we have a guest, so it won't be difficult for you to summon forth one."

And, before his master could answer the emerald-eyed boy ran off.

Feeling the chilly feeling in the air, as the hair at the back of his neck stood on end; Jordan couldn't help but take a moment to state the obvious, if only to himself, "This sucks!"

The ghost watching from the shadows could only nod in agreement; his grandson couldn't hear him so why bother.

It took the mini-Perkgurean a couple of hours to find Sotai. Who at the moment could be found around the acidic rivers, where the fifth race on Oban had taken place.

Since, neither Shinji nor Sotai had been around for the final nine races on Oban, thanks to Kanaletto. They had no idea of the exchange that had happened between a younger Molly and Muir, almost twelve years ago.

Waving his arms frantically, Shinji tried to catch the attention of a pensive Sotai, from a nearby cliff.

The Gazian had taken to sitting on a huge rock smack in the middle of the river, and musing to herself.

Quickly tiring of the useless effort, the toddler took to sitting on the edge of the cliff, thinking to himself about which way would be best to catch her attention.

Inspiration striking him, he muttered to himself, as if distracted, "Sotai, stop being a bitch and talk to me." He knew this was going to hurt.

And, hurt it did; mere seconds later he found himself being punched through three different sized rocks, all of them big.

Finally, coming to rest on the ground, Shinji had no time to relax.

For Sotai already had a hand holding him down, face a good five centimeter away from his own and she was growling. "What did you call me?"

Struggling to breathe, the Perkgurean boy spit out blood before answering, "…was the only way, to get your attention."

Narrowing her eyes at him, the Gazian stopped growling. "I told you to leave me alone. Do you want me to eat you?"

The Perkgurean was now wheezing horribly, "But…they…tricked him…into it. Their…words were very…difficult..." He coughed another glob of blood.

Blinking unintelligently at her partner, she seemed to realize something, "I think I broke something."

Fixing a glare of his own at his female counterpart, Shinji struggled a bit; "Really?" sarcasm was a bit difficult when your lungs were punctured.

Shrugging at his glare, she poured a white light through her hand and into Shinji's chest. It took a few minutes, but the Perkgurean seemed to breathe more easily as time went on.

Taking her hand off the Lycan's chest, and sitting to the side to give him some space; Sotai's face had gained a watered down sheepish expression, enough to know she was sorry, but not enough for her thoughts to be centered on the issue.

Coughing lightly, Shinji sat up, "If I wasn't sure you could discern faces and colors, I'd swear you were blind."

Turning to his still annoyed, but seemingly cooling down, partner, he continued "As I was saying, the Zydeco were using very general ways of expression and then taking advantage of our words to make it seem as if we had misinterpreted or had blatantly tried to make fun of them. It was very difficult."

Sotai looked at him, thoughtfully "You didn't read that list at all, did you?"

Shinji, now sported his own sheepish grin, but continued, "Plus, I think we blew it when the Zydeconian ambassador showed up - in a lime green tutu and just so happened to have pink fur."

Appearing distinctively unnerved, the Gazian asked her sheepish friend something that seemed to bother her, "At least, tell me Jordan didn't laugh…or, dare I say it, pat the ambassador on the head…or say it looked pretty."

Looking a tad embarrassed, he answered her, "Well, I don't know how Jordan saying that he looked like a 'cute little teddy bear', chuckling, and a slight wave when we left, was taken."

Walking up to a nearby boulder, Sotai started to hit her head against it repeatedly.

Shinji looked like he wanted to add something, but in the end kept his mouth shut. They had really had acted like a pair of morons.

"So, tell me what did we do?" Shinji hated learning new customs, but they were sometimes…necessary.

Leaning her head against the offending boulder, she replied, "Oh, you only goaded them into destroying Earth, by talking down to them, insinuating they were harmless and indirectly asking for them to kill our master."

Well, now Shinji was positive he felt stupid. "Oh."

Stepping away from the boulder Sotai took a deep breath. "Come on, Dog Boy. We have to go play moral support, for the next three months, for Avy Jay."

"Three months?" Perkgurean inquired.

He paused a moment, "Stop calling me that, you insane feline!"

"Ah-huh! Takes a while, to bring an entire fleet from one galaxy to another." The indigo-eyed girl affirmed, as she ignored the later statement. Turning to leave, jumping from rock to rock. Slow enough, for her partner to keep up.

"But, wouldn't he need moral support after his planet's gone?" he asked as he raced alongside his partner, as they returned to the palace.

"My patience can only go so far." The Gazian callously avowed. Thoughtfully, continuing with "Before, I try to strangle him, that is."

Nodding, they kept running, slowly coming closer to returning to their master's side.

Upon their return, they noticed three things:

One, Jordan had actually taken Shinji's advice on practicing the Phasmatis charm.

Two, the ghost Shinji had felt earlier definitely was Jordan's grumpy grandfather.

Three, Jordan seemed pissed off at them for some reason.

Shinji's first reaction at seeing the ghost was to hide behind his partner. Jordan's bitchiness seemed to come from him, and the Perkgurean wanted nothing to do with it.

Sotai seemed to be less perturbed than the alien werewolf behind her, "Has anyone ever told you that you look nothing like your grandpapa?"

Taking no notice of the Gazian's words, Jordan yelled at them, "You have no right to be pissed off at me! You, both of you, lied to me! Kept secrets from me! How the hell am I supposed to be a good Avatar if you won't even let me in on the details?!"

Being diplomatic, Shinji tried to get this over with, with the least amount of bloodshed. "Jordan what is this about?" What in the Creator-of-All's name had the semi-immortal Earther's grandfather told him?

"You know, very well 'what's this is about'! It's about how you knew, you knew…"

"You like the color pink." Sotai supplied helpfully.

"NO!"

"You wear pink boxers, with little duckies on them?"

"NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

"Cute things make you go all starry-eyed?"

"Yea…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Then, I don't know what we knew, do you Shinji?" the Perkgurean shook his head in silent confusion.

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN!!!" Jordan hyperventilated.

Sotai looked close to tears, "But, we have always, always listened. We have to or else we'd never know what's going on with you. It's tough, you know, to look after a master who doesn't tell you what he thinks about something, always ordering you to do something or another; Patrol various areas of the galaxy under a time limit, sneak around investigating the newest crime lords to see what they're up to, diligently make sure you're well informed of every process that goes on in the Milky Way,"

"I never asked you to do that!" The Earther Avatar interrupted, clearly put out.

However, Sotai continued, clearly into the drama, "Look after your poor mama when she's sick, accompany Molly until she finishes writing back to you, bring you magazines of the newest weapons on the market, tell you about the latest movies, bring home some candy or any other food - when you feel home-sick."

Jordan was now irritably glaring daggers at his two assistants, muttering "Dammit, that's not it at all!"

Really, Sotai and Shinji knew what Jordan was saying, but…well, Sotai thought it was just so cute to be able to see her four year old master pouting and making a fuss.

Plus, she got to carry around an adorably confused Shinji, who was once more sucking his thumb, on her hip.

Like any other girl, this situation was giving her a sugar high and keeping herself in check before she glomped either one was a higher priority than, say, explaining herself to her taller…superior…uhh…shorter…err…well, you get the idea.

Once more extracting the thumb from his mouth, the Perkgurean boy, asked his master, "Does this have to do with the fact that Grandfather Wilde appears whenever we give our reports and always demands we tell you about a mysterious amulet he's heard about so much in the spirit world?"

Adding in a whisper, almost to himself, "I'd never repeat a word he'd say! He criticizes my every step and then calls me stupid for listening to him. I just want him to go away and forgot it ever happened!"

Jordan's grandfather, sniffed to the side "Its things like this, that make what little masculinity you have, totally disappear!"

Grandson Wilde turning his attention to Sotai – completely dismissing the small exchange between his grandpa and his assistant - , seemed to have a vein throbbing in his temple, "If you knew that, then why didn't you ever tell me about it?!" his magic flared around his body.

Sporting a calm smile, Sotai set Shinji on the ground and walked towards the young Avatar. Gently, but firmly, holding his chin in between her fingers, she looked into his eyes.

A little disturbed, Jordan tried to back away from the calm but imposing nature of Sotai's aura, "Beware of the Ides of March" she softly whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

Letting him go, Sotai walked back to where her companion was being bullied by Wilde Senior.

It was funny, but lately ghosts seemed to start disliking Shinji or plain, inadvertedly, annoying him.

Jordan seemed to calm down enough to huff out, "What's that supposed ta mean?"

Waving her hand, as if it didn't matter, "In this case, it's a danger that is always there. It was considered something harmless; as long as we danced around it and never gave any indication of its existence, everything was OK. Sort of, like a needle in a hay stack, it will never bother you til one day it pricks you. There are many, and I mean many, needles out there waiting for someone to prick themselves on them. We didn't say anything, because it would have just given you unnecessary nightmares, for you to know about them all."

Jordan's eyes bugged out at this, "What do you mean, there are more?"

Apathetically the Gazian dismissed his grandpa's ghost before answering, "Meh, there always are."

Turning to look at her master she bubbly exclaimed, "But, enough of that! We have to start planning a farewell gift to give to your mama and papa and Molly and that nice lady that is always selling me those candies you like so much." dragging the toddlers into the kitchen with her, as she spoke.

"Bu…but, we can't give up, yet. There's got to be something we can do to stop this from happening!"

"Sure there is," chirped the cheerful Gazian, "You could always learn from your mistakes and make sure you never do them again!"

"I…don't think that would work." Retorted the Earther, as his female assistant sat the boys on the kitchen counter and started to make dinner.

"Hmmm, maybe you could ask King Aikka to talk to the Crogs, about just how much of a bad idea it is to side with the Zydeco. All those opportunities open to be freely betrayed or back-stabbed, in the most critical moments." She whimsically noted, as she looked through the curtain-ish refrigerator.

Cantankerously snapping at his subordinate, Jordan growled, "That won't work. I WON'T DO IT!!!"

Giggling Sotai gleefully added, "Oh I know that, but it's too funny, to not try! Think about what kind of face he'd put. Heheheheheheehehehahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The thumb sucking eighteen year old turned four, sighed to himself, "You're such a sadist!" and Jordan look positively disturbed.

Conspiratorially, the Earther whispered to his cursed friend, "At least, she didn't turn us into girls!"

Clamping his dry hand over Jordan's mouth and checking to see if Sotai heard, Shinji furiously whispered back, "Don't give her ideas!"

Back turned, the Gazian continued "Or, we could undo, that which has been done." As she reached for another pot, in which she could boil the potatoes, for the stew.

"Which, we shall never do!" Shinji immediately interjected. Glaring daggers at Sotai, as if trying to mentally tell her, she never should have even mentioned it.

Problem was, on a toddler it looked downright cute, and Sotai didn't think any farther than that.

**DaCat**: So sorry for the delay. My comp has been ultra rebellious lately and just turns itself off whenever it chooses. I swear, it thinks it is here to do Satan's work. I had to re-write this a couple of times. I should be hailed for my diligence, as should anybody else that has these problems. It's so hard to continue. You get SO depressed.

Crazyvegimab, I just love you SO much!!! Sotai does too, but I'm afraid she'd scare you off, if I let her anywhere near you.

As for Star Fata, hmmm…I love the ice-cream. Thankies!! Jordan's grandpa was really just yelling at Shinji for causing the Crogs and the Zydeco to set their sights on Earth, since the Perkgurean never paid him any mind before. Truly sad, because like Sotai said, there are so many objects out there that can cause catastrophes that thinking about them will just make you worry…and possibly give you a nervous-breakdown. Not an excuse, but it's impossible to stop them all from being found.

Hmmm, - looks around – what have I got to explain?

Sotai's a sadist. I thought this was obvious, but for the rest of you that just noticed…Yeah, she can be pretty callous and aggressive, too.

I feel bad about Shinji. He's on everybody's 'I hate you' list. How could I have done this? …Well…I just don't know. It kind of just happened. I love you toddler Shinji. I DO!!!

Jordan's grandfather is kind a carbon copy of an Aunt of mine, but instead of chewing out your family and being decent to strangers, it's the opposite, really.

**SWT**: Crazyvegimab, we love you!!! Ice Cream is always good, thank you Star Fata. I just want everyone to know that we appreciate any type of reviews sent and we love all those who actually read.

Don't you just love the thumb-sucking Shinji? He's one of the most wonderful creations we have ever made. Please comment about it. We love you, bye


	9. Time to be Serious

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 9: Time to be serious**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue. If not then keep in mind that since you've seen the series you'll know that, the only people that are mine are the Perkgureans, the Gazians, and the Guardians. Heimdall is so far neutral ground._

"I demand you grow up" the huffing form of the four year old Perkgurean insisted, "and in turn let us do the same!" he wailed the second part.

As Jordan flailed his arms, as he chorused with a resounding 'Yeah!'

The stew had gone over pretty well. It had distracted Jordan's attention; from the fact his planet was going to experience the Apocalypse in three months - without an anti-Christ, four horsemen, the Leviathan, amongst other things.

The Avatar's attention was now centered on his incapability to comfortably reach his plate. The shame of needing a high chair at the age of twenty-nine - and who knew how old Shinji was - , immediately was prioritized and both boys had gone on a whine-til-we-get-what-we-want strike.

Sotai found it adorable. So adorable, she took pictures.

Somehow, Shinji figured those pictures weren't going to be used as blackmail. He just knew it.

However, that scared him much, much more. His partner was more than capable of sending them to his parents. While, his mother had been mortal and now laid in eternal rest; Sotai was very aware that his father was immortal and would probably have a thing or two to say to him.

Running up to the picture taking Gazian, Shinji tried to jump for the camera. Tried, being the key word here.

"Give…me…that…camera…!" Uttering a word for each jump the human looking Perkgurean pup tried to reach for the offending object, with little success.

Sweatdropping at her partner's efforts, indigo-eyed feline seemed to be quietly amused at the restraint the Guardian of Destruction was showing. Only five of their years ago, he wouldn't have doubted at hacking away at her for any slight to his person.

Clearing her throat so as to catch the toddlers' notice, "Yes, young grasshopper it IS a camera!" Blue flames enveloped the hand holding said object turning it into a sickly smelling puddle on the floor, "and now it's not!"

From his perch at the dinner table, Jordan had watched said show with wide eyes, "Remind me not to annoy you, ever." muttering, loud enough, for it to be heard above the slightly demented chuckles of his female assistant.

Sotai carried a slightly green Shinji away from the putrid smelling goop, on the floor, and placed him on a seat, next to Jordan. "Hmmm…that would be getting on my nerves. Annoying me usually entails: scaring someone into submission and/or breaking someone's ribs."

Turning to clean up the mess she just made, she returned the object to its original form only for it to crumble into dust a minute later. Looking around for a broom, "But, I guess you're right. The age limit for our conversation is just too high for you boys to be that size."

Both boys had adopted a starry eyed expression at her words. "Does that mean you'll turn us back? Of your own free will?" Jordan had practically danced on his seat at the idea.

Maybe, she was changing for the better.

Giggling at the two boys, she nodded her head stepping away from the broom closet and sat at the table to have a better look at them. "Sure, besides I already sent a couple pictures to Molly, Jordan's mama and Shinji's darling sister."

Ok, maybe, she was changing…but for the worst.

Smiling sweetly at their stricken faces, she continued, "I'm sure they'll agree with me, as to, just how cute you were when you were little kids."

They boys howled at her, "How could you?!"

Sooner than either one could react, they felt a little funny, as a magic circle appeared below them glowing ever brighter, before they suddenly shot up. Talk about your sudden growth spurts.

"So, now that we have nothing in the way; we can now talk business." The Gazian amiably finished, with a business-like undertone.

Both men were reasonably dazed by growing up so fast, their heads were spinning, and dumbly nodded at her words, as they slowly regained their bearings. "Yes, well, the only way to stop the end of Earth as we know it – I've always wanted to say that –, as well as, the only option Avy Jay seems slightly interested in, is the 'undoing the done' plan; and he doesn't even know what that's supposed to mean, do you?"

The now more aware Avatar seemed to look a little sheepish at this.

"Don't worry, it'll be easy all we need is a third party – none of us or a Zydeco, preferably some who knows Oban – and specialists, we know, that can help us with the time-travel ritual…and hope that they're all free in two months time." She assured her master.

Jordan was relieved; it didn't sound too dangerous, "That's it, right?" The nod from his female assistant put his mind at ease. Maybe, they could fix this. His relief was short-lived and soon turned into irritated confusion at the medium's words.

"But, we're not going to use said option because it's a bad idea, right Sotai!" the wolf man confirmed, glaring daggers at the only girl of the group so as to emphasize his point.

Jordan didn't like Shinji dismissing a possibly good idea without his say so. Who knew, maybe, Sotai could come up with something more productive than scaring the hell out of others.

Straightening in his seat, Jordan interrupted the staring contest between his two assistants, "Wait a minute! It just might be a good idea!"

The two turned to look at Jordan, both absolutely surprised. He had never liked any of Sotai's ideas before. He didn't trust her enough, why was he starting now?

"You can't be sure of that! Besides, this harebrained scheme could very well undo your status as Avatar. Messing around with time and space isn't EVER a good idea!" Shinji spat.

"First off, time is so difficult even those with the power to manipulate it take years – Did you hear that, Sotai? YEARS – to be able to have a moderately good control over for only ten minutes, before everything goes to hell! We can't do that in less than three months, mostly, because none of us have any affinity with time magic!"

The Earth team's ex-gunner seemed a bit annoyed that they had once again forgotten he was there…then again, he knew it was how they did things and no matter how many times he'd yelled at them, they didn't seem to have realized they had done it.

The indigo-eyed Gazian brightened a bit as she mentioned, "Jordan could if he tried, though."

Meanwhile, Shinji continued with his tirade "And, space, well who knows if you're going to reappear inside a wall and the specialist we know really hates us..."

"…THAT specialist just hates you." Sotai, once again, interrupted.

Turning to look at her, he seemed to want to say something…do something extremely unpleasant, catching himself in time, "Thank you, for reminding me that small detail." The medium acerbically snapped.

"At least, look at it like this, the time specialist doesn't." She smirked across the table at him. Why was she pursuing the subject so doggedly? Normally, she was more of a live and let live - or die – character. Sure, he tolerated the Terran Avatar's family, liked Molly and Don Wei well enough, and found that he appreciated Martial Arts movies more than he was willing to admit, and he knew that Sotai was slightly more appreciative than he was - though not by much. However, forcing themselves to return to their lives before this Avatar business had started was an exaggeration in his mind.

Empires were built and demolished every so often and just because you liked one of them, didn't mean you had the right to stop it.

Trying to reign in his temper, the emerald-eyed Perkgurean looked at his master. "This is a bad idea Jordan, and even if we could do it, there are so many ways to mess it up, it just wouldn't be worth it."

The Lycan swerved his head to look at the girl of their group, daring her to contradict him. It really pissed him off that she was smiling so tranquilly when only 10,000 years ago she would have utterly refused to do anything so risky.

Then again, anything even slightly capable of killing bothered both of them greatly, after having to live through Kanaletto's reign. Too much mass genocide that they weren't even a part of… they just watched.

Jordan, however, was nonplussed. The only possibility given to him to save the Earth and Shinji was, for the first time, trying to make him change his mind. Shinji always did as he said – even if he didn't like it – case and point, the messenger thing.

It should have worried him that Sotai was on his side and smirking, whilst Shinji was against him pleading for him to let this go.

However, Jordan had a kind of patriotic sense installed inside of him that just wouldn't let him let this go.

Despite, the warning signs and bad omens: Sotai smirking, his childish photo well on its way to both his mother's and Molly/Eva's hands, Shinji pleading against a decision of his and begging to be listened to – BEGGING!!

He just couldn't not do something.

"No! We're going to do this and Sotai…you are going to tell me all the Pros and all the Cons this plan has…later!" he firmly said, and walked out of the kitchen and trekked back to his room, before anything more could be said.

Watching their master leave, the two assistants sat in apprehensive silence…until… "Damn you, can't you ever keep your mouth shut." He violently stood up, his chair falling to the floor. "I have no interest in re-living the last twelve years all over again and I'm more than aware you'd be viciously bored, as well!"

Pacing the kitchen, he stewed in his thoughts as Sotai stayed silent, carefully watching him. "If you had just kept your mouth shut, we would have had that sob fest and then went on with our lives!"

"Ice-cream is worth the sacrifice." She amusingly stated, watching as he turned towards her clearly wishing she'd just drop dead, any second now.

"Damn it, we both know you're not that superficial! What are you gaining from this?" he bellowed from his place, a couple meters from her. Perfect pouncing distance, a thought told her at the back of her mind.

As she sat there, after having listened to Shinji's words apparently serious, she innocently asked, "So this…is my fault?"

Breaking something seemed like such a nice idea right now, "Yes, it's your fault! Everything is your fault!" he yelled.

Dramatically sniffing, the Gazian looked at him, "So you're saying that I'm…guilty of existing?" sighing and then pitifully continued, "I didn't ask my parents to make me, you know. They did that without my permission!! You see, one day, they sent away my sister with an aunt and my brothers, well, they were…"

"I DON'T NEED TO KNOW HOW YOUR PARENTS DECIDED TO HAVE YOU WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION!!!" Shinji quickly interrupted – before she scarred his already troubled mind, any more than she already had.

"Be serious" he snapped at his partner, "You never do something, unless you're gaining something. What is it?"

Sotai's figured suddenly didn't seem to be playful, yet scary, anymore. She seemed lazier, laid back, even, in an eternally amused grace that hadn't been seen for a while, until that day. "Hmmm…gaining? Nothing, really…I did, however, get a letter from your darling sister a day or so ago."

Sitting himself down again…in Jordan's chair "Junko? What does she want?" his sister never did write, she liked calling or just plain appearing on their doorstep for a visit.

"Well, you see, the Guardian of Fate suggested it – the 'undoing the done' ploy - , said it was necessary and that she'd notify the rest about our time hopping ventures - and that they should get ready to re-live the last decade or so." She smugly added.

His knees felt weak, he was sure he was going to be sick. It was his sister's idea? The End was near, he could feel it. "You're saying that you're listening to her now? You never listen to anybody, unless it's convenient."

She lazily shrugged, "You're not convenient, either. But, I keep you around and, sometimes, even listen to you. But, I'm not listening to her. I'm listening to the Guardian of Destiny, or at least his PS at the end of her letter."

Groaning as he hid his head between his arms, Shinji couldn't believe it. "Figures you'd listen to THAT sadist." He frustratedly sighed, why did the only person she listened to have to be a guy who liked giving everybody in the universe something to complain about…or die miserably from? It just wasn't fair!

"Of course, he's my big brother, after all!" and did she really have to be related to him, too? Life wasn't fair and Shinji was positive that it was all his fault!!!

Sighing once more, he lifted his head from his arms "So what are you going to do, for twelve repeated years?"

Immortals weren't affected by time travel they remembered everything. They weren't subjected to time the same way mortals are. It keeps them from going stark raving mad…and trying to conquer the universe. This also explains why they're all a little touched in the head, so to speak.

Stretching lazily the cat-girl understandably smiled at Shinji's defeat, she wasn't going to poke fun at him, not today…or at least, not enough to drive him to pulling his hair out. She liked his hair, thank you very much.

"Well, twelve years ago you were a lawyer and I was playing your cute little wife that always brought you lunch. We had to leave because your 'father' had gotten sick and had summoned you to take control of the family's assets; you wouldn't be able to return so you quit." She giggled to herself at the story.

It was ironic…Satis didn't look anything like Shinji's father and the Oban star race along with taking care so that Galatea didn't do something…horrible to one of the racers, weren't exactly the family's assets.

Shinji didn't really mind the story about being married to Sotai. She had been really nice when Satis had been around, and it kept his female co-workers from trying too hard to get his attention. Women, today, were callous enough to make Sotai arch an eyebrow if not anything else. The lunches were great, too.

"So, I guess we'll go with that for a month, before returning to Oban for the race. Then, we'll make sure to laze away our time housing with one of the racers - I'm not looking after Galatea, this time - until the race goes to Oban. In the meantime, we keep Galatea as far away from beaky-chan as possible. We'll then watch Jordan get closer to becoming Avatar, and hunt down Kanaletto, when he shows his beaky…beak in the finals!" she slowly seemed to realize how boring that would be.

Continuing she disappointedly added, "Hmmm…maybe, we can make bets as to how far the 'third party' changes the race? Just to make things interesting!"

Immortality sucked, neither really understood those who wanted to trade places with them. Maybe, they had screws loose, too! Mortals were difficult, so very difficult to understand.

**DaCat**: Okay, I finished this. FINALLY!!! I really hated myself for writing this one. So much boring but must be told info, just to get the story rolling down the right track. (sighs)

**Star Fata** my family is just as weird, so don't worry about it. Sotai, however, wants to sue your cousins…something about improper use of frozen heaven.

**Crazyvegimab** THANK YOU!!! OH, THANK YOU!!! I was kind of worried that I hadn't used that quote too well, and nobody'd like it. (cries in the corner) Anyway, I'm so glad you put my fic on your faves. I'm going to try to keep the story interesting to deserve it.

Anyone else that likes my story, I'm very happy that I've kept your interest uptil now. Don't worry; things will get pretty interesting very soon.

**SWT**: Shinji has family issues. Sotai actually cooks well, and was 'married' to Shinji? I would have never guessed… Galatea attacked some of the racers? Umm… interesting. I can't wait to let you all know how this is going to continue. Please continue reading we've got more interesting twists and turns to greet you with.

WE LOVE ALL REVIEWS!!!


	10. A Pause Before Time

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 10: A Pause Before Time**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

It was a good month after that episode, in which the plan to save Earth had been _decided_ – imposed upon the assistants and suggested to the Avatar.

So far, the preparations hadn't gone over too well. The specialists Sotai and Shinji knew, even the ones that had a high-to-average affinity towards the elements needed, were all busy.

How that happened nobody knew – although Shinji could swore it was Sotai's brother who was messing with them. The Perkgurean and the Gazian had to improvise and asked a couple of the specialists for do-it-yourself manuals, which were supposed to arrive in four days.

The next problem that had occurred, was when Sotai and Jordan had bickered over who the famous 'third party', that was supposed to perform the time jump, should be.

The Earther had insisted on Molly because he trusted in his friend's knowledge of the past to help her persevere, but his female assistant insisted that putting her through something so difficult, after having to go through so much, already, was cruel.

There had been a nasty scream-fest, until Shinji had cut in saying that, because of Molly's past troubles, she would be able to know how to handle certain situations, and maybe even make things a little easier for herself along the way.

Of course, they then had to let Eva in on their decision. Getting Don Wei's permission to allow her to come to Oban…under false pretenses, had been a bit difficult and VERY wearisome; whilst, ensuring that Molly come along, no matter what - and still make it seem like as if she was alright with the idea - was downright exhausting.

And when she had finally arrived on Oban, Molly seemed to be just as appreciative as Sotai had been, at being chosen. Although, it was because they didn't ask her opinion, before picking her - and instead had chosen her and expected her to be happy with it. Wisely, Shinji and Sotai hadn't stayed behind to hear how Jordan calmed her down. They were, however, very much aware that it took Jordan an entire day to do so.

After getting the Terran woman's consent to be a part of the time-travel ritual, it had been a non-stop study session for the two assistants – in search of any and all information that they could make use of.

Thus, this brings us to where Sotai had been studying for the last couple of hours. Or, at least…she had tried to. After much effort, the Gazian had found herself having more and more difficulty concentrating on the task at hand.

Her frustration had been eating away at her all day. When finally, looking up towards the heavens, she aimed a bitter speech against the Creator-of-All, "You say, you love us all equally. But, I know the truth! Watch out Cloud-Head, I'm on to youR LITTLE SCHEME!" as she threateningly pointed an accusing finger at the studies' ceiling.

Looking up from his book, Shinji arched his brow in question, "Blaming God, again?" he addressed her from across the room.

"It IS his fault, we exist. We need to remind, him all the time, or else he'll forget." She firmly proclaimed. Snorting in disbelief, "Right! So what is this scheme, you keep hollering about?"

She put on a sly smile before conspiratorially stage whispering, "You know, those Government secrets that nobody should know about, but somehow they know OF them. Well, this one is so utterly obvious that only six people in the universe are aware of it."

"That's nice, but what is it?" he exasperatedly hissed, clearly too tired to stand for any of Sotai's games, at the moment.

Apparently unaware of her partner's waning temper, she continued with her mischief "The scheme? Well, you see…that's not my secret to tell! Now is it? Nope, sorry, you'll have to find out on your own!"

Gripping the side of his desk with unbridled fury, it started to crack, "Now see here, you damn cat…" He was interrupted as Molly entered the room, "Time for lunch!!!" she walked a couple of feet into the room before she stopped, feeling the tense atmosphere, "Who died?"

"Well, right now, Doggy boy wants me to die! So really, I'm on my deathbed…or desk…whichever!" the indigo-eyed alien lightly commented, as she maintained a contented expression.

At the moment, Eva could swear she was going to have the biggest headache ever. These two did this at least once everyday, and she had only been on Oban for a week. How did Jordan put up with it? The teasing, the growling, the death matches that ended in ties for the strangest reasons, and the even stranger reasons they had started.

She knew that they were nervous about the time-travel thingy, but really she was there when this guy named Mizu had called them up and told them what procedure to use that day. It didn't sound hard at all, just really boring.

But, the bickering duo seemed to think otherwise. Sotai had, even, mentioned "You know how to breathe, right? But, when you have to run a race, you need to know how to breathe properly or else you'll get tired faster. It's the same thing. You have to properly know, really, know how to in order to get a better result."

Returning to reality, she sweatdropped at their stupidity, she prayed there was a valid reason behind this. "Well, what happened now? A fly is bugging one of you more and the other got jealous?"

Whilst in his real form Shinji couldn't hiss, but that didn't make the low guttural sound coming from him any less disquieting, a feeling that only grew, as Sotai's otherwise harmless grin grew wider. "Not really." the feline in human form assured her master's friend.

"Just discussing God's Plan for us all, as well as, certain preconceived notions that should never be questioned by us, the Lord's servants." philosophized the Perkgurean, in accusing tones.

Rolling her eyes, Sotai leisurely laid back against her seat, "So, now I'm a heretic for questioning the Almighty One? Grow up, Dog Boy. I'm a Gazian; I question every twitch you make. It's what I do!"

Trying to break up the quarreling pair, Molly decided to remind them of why she was there, "Ahum! There. Is. Lunch. Ready. In. The. Kitchen. NOW! Why don't you guys kill each other after we eat? Hmmm?" and grabbing the emerald-eyed wolf man – who just so happened to be closer to her – by the scruff of the neck, she hauled him out the door. "Heeeeeeeyyyyyyyyy…!!!"

Jordan, himself, had been just as busy. It was his job to, along with Molly, make a list, a very important list. **The List**, Eva would later need to revise as she went through the events of twelve years ago. These events HAD to include everything of the entire Oban Star Race and the events came before it, as well as, the next four years after it. Time-travel was so imprecise that they needed to prepare for just about everything.

He mostly did everything, though; because Eva normally tried to make sure everyone got fed and went to sleep at **near** decent hours –midnight, for example. She did this for the reason that, if left unattended, she usually had to go for hours without food as she waited for the rest to realize they hadn't eaten…and, also, they'd probably die before they saved Earth - or at least she thought they would.

Hearing the food call, Jordan left his study in search for the kitchen. On his way there, he saw the oddest thing. It wasn't everyday that you saw a meter fifty-two shrimp tug around a two meter ten werewolf. It was one of those, 'never thought I'd see…' moments.

Turning, to look at an amused Sotai trailing after them, "I missed something good, didn't I?" She gaily wrapped herself around his right arm – carefully watching the chopsticks in her hair - to tell him all about it, "You know, we discovered that there is a God…and her name is Eva Wei!" she gushed, "Anyone that can shut up Dog Boy - the only miracle that I recognize as divine intervention – has got to be the physical incarnation of the Lord of All!"

Yelling over her shoulder, Eva shouted back at them, "Yeah, well this Lord of All wants you two to be in the kitchen, BEFORE I get there!" as she continued to tug Shinji along, narrowing her eyes at him the moment he opened his mouth causing him to once again shut it. Sotai cooed over how wonderful Molly was, "See that Jordan! She's even making impossible demands!" and tugging along her master, they both set forth to speed after the Terran female and her Perkgurean _companion_ - hostage.

However, in another part of the universe things didn't seem so…light hearted.

Well, they were very serious…to a sense.

I mean, just how serious can you be when you're drunk? Not quite drunk, but drunk enough to loosen the tongue.

"I can't believe I have to undo ALL of my plans, Aiden." whined the Guardian of Fate to her Gazian companion, "You better have a good reason for this. I have to now re-plan everybody's fates, all because you want to change a minor galaxy. And please, don't give me any of those 'It's a secret' lines, either; I'll make you pay the tab if you do." she quietly spoke softly to Sotai's elder brother.

The robed man with shoulder length onyx hair, shrugged his shoulders as he gazed at his drinking partner, amusement dancing in his eyes "Maa, maa, such distrust. That's likely to hinder my spiritual growth, you know?"

Snorting, the silver furred were-vixen, with black tips on her ears and tail, wryly replied, "The only thing spiritual about you is that you somehow always know where to find a bar with enough liquor to get us semi-drunk."

One of the little known facts of the universe was that the higher your magical level was it, also, became harder to get drunk. These two had 'professionally screw the universe over', in their job description; therefore, they had to be titans, by default.

Another problem that arose when trying to get drunk, with such massive magical power, was that they still got hangovers, whether they got drunk or not.

"It is better than being utterly sober." He answered good-naturedly. Sighing to herself the female Perkgurean sardonically looked at the man next to her, "Stop trying to skirt your way out of this one. Sometimes I don't know why I married you."

Grinning to himself as he downed another shot, he murmured "I think it was because you liked my family, so much you decided to join in on the fun." Clearing his throat, he continued, "As for THAT, well sincerely, I can only say that I swore I'd take care of that galaxy to Zsyssinx - one of the Creator's, a friend of mine – and, in doing so I lent them the best of protection, which only our siblings could provide, and now I'm willing to undo the mess caused by those Earthers."

Narrowing his unfocused eyes straight ahead of him, "I thought that, while saving a friend is beyond a doubt commendable. Things can't go on as is; the chaos of unfulfilled happenings and those that were never supposed to be will thread over each other and then…well, you know. Besides, how can I let some boy off easy for giving two of the four most important women in my life, trouble!"

Junko felt truly touched at this last remark "Aiden…" Nevertheless, before she could say anything some goon grabbed her drink and downed it.

The drunkard then turned to look at her, as if making sure she was there. Satisfied, he tried to chat her up with a pretty lame pick-up line "Want to come see my HARD DRIVE? I promise it isn't 3.5 inches and it ain't floppy."

Blinking owlishly, like a doe caught in head-lights, she stuttered in bewilderment, "Wh..what?"

Stupidly staring at her for a moment, the wasted thug tried again, "Gee, that's a nice set of legs, what time do they open?"

That was enough to get the couple sober, despite the hangover and all. "THAT WAS MY DRINK, YOU BASTARD!!!!" The Guardian of Fate roared.

The bartender had to admit, there was never a dull moment, when this couple came in. Even if they beat the crap out of every customer that dared…well, all he knew was that they always said something to the girl; it was nice to never have to worry about hiring bouncers, if those two always did the work.

Profits didn't seem to ever go down despite their particularly rough way of treating his clients so he just stopped asking them to stop causing bar fights. They paid for the damages, later anyway.

**SWT:** This time before my beloved companion says anything I want to comment about this chapter.

Honestly, I love Junko and Aiden. They are the older siblings of Sotai and Shinji, and they know how to ruin or make your day faster than you can say 'whatchamacallit'. Also, the God comment cracked me up because it just was sooo funny, God has odd plans for us and Sotai, plus five others, that don't include Shinji at all, knows about and are ready to rumble.

Now about Dolly Molly, she is the BOMB but ain't no god. No matter how amazing her abilities are… LOL, I just love Molly dearest and her wonderful personality, don't you? Although, it's a serious pain for Sotai and Shinji to have to go to sleep and eat at the same time as humans, they're aliens for Christ's sake. They don't need to it, or at least not that often.

As you might have guessed, I love it! So DaCat, let keep up the good work.

**DaCat**: Mew!!!!

**SWT: **That's the spirit! Oh wait; you became a Mew, didn't you?

**DaCat:** No, it's a strangled Mao!

**SWT:** Okie Dokie, because if you did I'd have to take care of finishing the story by myself. I don't really think I could do it by myself.

**DaCat**: Say what?...whatever. Back to my point,- _SWT: you had a point?_ – Sotai and Shinji may like each other and, even, be able to stand the other's presence, but they fight, a lot, over everything and anything. I decided on religion, for this one, because it's so easy to fight over it. BTW, Gazians and Perkgureans are monotheists, just in case you're wondering. They just have different views about just how ineffable God is and both are considered to pay great attention to their faiths. The pick-up lines in that bar scene…I just looked around on the internet. I would have bashed my head in, otherwise, for thinking up such…things. I think that making Fate and Destiny's Guardians drunks…was a little over the top. But, in the end it went well.

As for our readers…I'm amazed last chapter had so few hits. I almost cried.

On a side-note, Crazyvegimab, Star Fata, and my new reviewer Spellcaster Hikaru THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it wasn't for you guys I'd probably be giving up by now.

Crazyvegimab I kind of planned that this would be a time-travel fic, since there aren't any for this show. Shame it took me so long to get to the point. I like fillers…

Star Fata Thanks for the ice-cream! Your bribes really keep us going! As for immortality/mortality well I read this supremely sad Naruto fic one day and it was about how he turned immortal and had to watch as all his friends just died off, by old age or enemies. It was too sad to keep watching…but it did give me a pretty nasty preview of what it's like to be the Avatar and his assistants. It's very lonely and after a while, dull.

Spellcaster Hikaru…_looks at all the reviews_…Hmmm, which to answer first…Well, no. I've never read the Green Rider. I live in Peru, right now, and it's a bit difficult to find. We all want Kanaletto gone, I just figured I'd let Galatea have the honors; she was Satis' closest friend.

For most of the rest of the fic he's going to be back as Prince Aikka so I wouldn't worry too much. I think it sounds strange, too.

A one-shot of one Gazian against the entire Crog planet… ;) I like it!!! Kross…well I assure you he'll get his share of abuse later on, Toros, too. The Crogs REALLY don't like it that an inferior race, that has a quite promising mysterious artifact on their planet and has the Avatar saving them every time they try something, got away. I'll explain later, why this is so important.

As for the rest, keep reading.


	11. The Chibification Process

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 11: The Chibification Process**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

The four man procession to the magic amplification room was quiet; a buzz of tension in the air, as they steadily made their way down the winding steps and passageways of the oval-shaped castle.

In similar fashion to the time they had first dragged Jordan here, Shinji was in the lead with Sotai bringing up the rear.

The only difference was that Shinji was in his human-like form and Eva had changed places with Galatea.

Not a word was uttered until they entered the empty room. Jordan had mindlessly step into the room when he surprisingly fell onto his face. "OUCH!!!"

"Watch your step" the Perkgurean belatedly said, uncaringly. Letting herself into the room, Molly sighed "You should have said that earlier."

"Since, when was there a step there? And this…sand? There wasn't sand last time!" whined the Terran Avatar, as he shook the sand off his person.

Tiredly motioning the ground from behind them, Sotai explained the change of decoration "It's always like that; kind of like those pools under retractable floors. This time we need the sand; need to save up as much energy as possible."

The Gazian stretched a little before lethargically summoning forth a staff. The fact that said staff materialized from shadows - which had formerly twisted into an amoeba-like ball in her hand before taking shape - would have been more awe-inspiring, had she not yawned loudly whilst she did so.

"You alright?" Eva asked, as the other two boys watched in concern. "Yeah, you look dead on your feet." added the ex-gunner. "Been sleeping too much" she mumbled "makes me sleepier. Damn humans, I don't need so many naps." She sniffed as she started to look much more lively; looking accusingly at Molly who only shrugged as the feline blamed her for mother-henning her.

Ordering everyone to stand a certain distance from each other, she drew circles around them with the point of her staff, connecting them with two parallel lines – which were only a finger apart from each other.

Standing in one of the circles as soon as she finished; the alignment was similar to a lower case 'e' written in stone by Romans. The two boys' circles attached to Sotai's, who's then attached to Molly's.

"Alright," the now-amused Gazian announced, "this is how this works: Shinji's base magic is the most similar to 'space', and Avy Jay's to 'time'; mine won't work as well with either, so I'll make sure to moderate the effect the spell has on Dolly Molly – how far back she goes and just how smoothly she joins with her past self."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean 'joins with her past self'? Aren't I supposed to just appear in my past body and get on with what I have to do?" The Earther woman demanded.

"Not really, it'll be like the 'you' from that time period all of a sudden gained extra memories, by watching a weird TV program - that was about you – and just so happens to mysteriously have **that list** amongst her things." She confirmed complacently.

Molly didn't seem to be in the mood of being told things in the last minute. However, before she could make a fuss about it, Shinji quickly intervened, "We need to hurry. You'll have time to complain later."

"Later?" the Earth team's former pilot asked, completely baffled. "Later." Confirmed Sotai, "But, now, the chibification process: To turn engineer Eva into runty Molly!" "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who are YOU calling runty?" But the Gazian had already started conjuring the spell that would send her back through time.

An aura of different colors surrounded the three magic users as they began the ritual. Sotai's was a blue-ish indigo color, you couldn't tell which color it was, really; Shinji's was more of a forest emerald green; and, finally, Jordan's had turned a nice golden color, eerily similar to the color he had when in his true Avatar form, with flicks of lime green here and there.

The lines that the indigo-eyed female had written in the sand, earlier, now, glowed a soft lavender.

Sotai eyes were closed – she was mumbling under her breath something indefinable - as she outstretched her right hand. Her palm was open, facing upwards, with a swirling ball of silver light oozing strands that floated towards and slowly wound themselves around Molly.

These strands appeared to carry the magic users' aura. Eva didn't know how she knew that, but she just did - as the strands continued to wrap themselves around her. It felt really sticky.

The twenty-nine year old Jordan was now sweating heavily. He couldn't bear it for much longer and it had only been fifteen minutes since they, properly, began.

He had been muttering the spell they had forced him to memorize, for calling forth the power of time, whilst holding a distinct hand seal that according to Shinji would help him channel the proper amount for this ritual.

It was difficult, his arms already hurt and his throat felt parched, like as if he hadn't had anything to drink for days.

He knew that his assistants weren't doing much better.

Shinji, seemed like as if the weight of gravity would bring him down at any moment, as he tiredly panted in exhaustion.

On the other hand, Sotai was shaking pretty badly and her face was pale. She'd probably faint if things went on for much longer.

As it turns out, they didn't have to wait much longer. Molly was done being covered by the silvery strands and was now gradually fading away.

Now resting, Sotai noticed a tiny flare of dark blood red energy seep into Molly's disappearing figure, before she completely vanished.

Collapsing to the ground, all three figures started to take a well deserved rest. "Did it work?" the young Avatar asked his equally fatigued assistants. "We'll…see soon,…won't…we." Panted heavily, the emerald-eyed Perkgurean.

Staying silent, their Gazian comrade was deep in thought; that red energy worried her a bit.

A thought flashed through her mind, but before she could voice it allowed the space around them started to twist and turn, turning everything around them into a mirage of dazzlingly bright colors.

Floating away from each other, Jordan screamed out one last command, "Take care of her!" and then…all turned black and silent.

Floating around, in a space of bright colors, only annoyed the Guardian of Fate and Destiny. "Why did you do?" Junko glared accusingly at her husband, desperately trying to keep her royal blue kimono for going up to her waist.

Unaffected by his wife's discomfort and the very threatening looks she was currently giving him, as he unabashedly let his head rest on her upper thigh, "Hmmm…well, I made things interesting."

If only looks could kill…and her husband couldn't undo ALL misfortune she sent his way.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" she reiterated, clearly proving her familial ties with her younger brother, through her temper. "AND, get off me, you pervert!"

Aiden arched his brow, "Why is it so bad to be a pervert? It's not like I've never seen what's under there." Rubbing his head against her thigh, as he declared his point.

This had gone on far enough, she thought to herself. Snarling in reply, "If I wasn't so sure you'd find some way to escape, I'd slap you silly." Whining uncertainly against her "But you still, love me, right?"

Huffing as she turned away from him, she asked him, yet again, her question, "Well, what have you done, that you had to act so borderline indecent in order to distract me from asking?"

"Ah…I designed a method to stop world hunger!" he offered.

"Aiden!"

"Gave her my blessings, for the trip."

"You don't do that…EVER! Not even for your own sisters" she hissed back at him.

"Well…"

"Aiden!" she silently warned him.

"Uhhh…I altered the time she was going back to…and stuff."

"Time? She's going back a farther or shorter length of time?" she warily inquired.

"Maybe...farther back. Like a decade or so." He cautiously ventured.

SLAP!!!...and then all went black…and, well, it was black…Junko didn't miss, this time.

A younger Eva Wei had just awoken in her bed. She recognized this room. It was the room she had stayed in while she went to the Stern Boarding School.

She looked around hoping to see one of the others, but she was alone now. Seeing that it was around seven a.m. she knew she had to get out of bed and get changed, they always got dramatic if you were caught being late to class and she didn't want to go through too much trouble…before she had to, that is.

Getting out of bed worried her. Everything in this room was much bigger than she was used to; even her legs and hands were a bit smaller than, before.

What alarmed her was her school-edition calendar; she hadn't had one of those since she was a kid – not even a teenager.

The date, however, instilled dread within her very soul. It was October 23rd, 2072.

They had told her, when, exactly, she'd appear was vague and imprecise almost impossible to specify.

But, they had comforted her saying that it would only be twelve years at most; this was twenty two.

Today was the day after Don Wei left her in this hell-hole. She was a twenty seven-year old trapped in hell, AND she had no way to escape. How could she, when she was officially a five year old?

**DaCat**: It's shorter than my usual stuff. But, I think it's better written. What do you guys think?

Crazyvegimab: I'm speechless…and blushing…A LOT!!! Thank you, so very much!!!!! I'm very honored you'd do such a thing!

Star Fata: I wouldn't feel so bad about Shinji, yet. It's just karma, instilled by Aiden, because he did something, you'd all agree, he REALLY shouldn't have. Chocolate AND ice-cream, hmmm…bribes…if only I could **actually** eat them!!!!!!!!!

Spellcaster Hikaru: Junko is pretty protective of her drink, and since I mentioned that this happens often, I think she'd be more upset over the fact that he just stopped her from getting drunk AND she'd still have to pay for it. I had fun writing that part.

I love Aiden…when he's not playing around…Hmmm…maybe I should write a sequel just to have him around more often. Maybe, I'll have Molly somehow find him and Junko, and they'll have a chat of some sort…what do you guys think?

Anyway, reviews are nice…even hits will do at this point.

**SWT**: You are so pitiful. Hits aren't the most important thing, although your hits are pitiful. Still, don't put yourself as low as to ask for that!!

I'm annoyed that people haven't been asking about stuff like; why no one questions who Heimdall is, why Sotai likes ice cream so much if Earth is relatively new for her, why no one asks what the Guardians are, if Shinji is the Guardian of Destruction what does Sotai do when she's not the Avatar's assistant, etc.

I love Aiden and Junko, but I never imagined Aiden to be the perverted type even if he was just trying to distract her from asking said question. That was just hilarious!

We hate non-reviewers, but anonymous reviews are fine. So, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	12. Chibi Sotai IS Pretty Nice

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 12: Chibi Sotai IS Pretty Nice**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue._

The world had once more become a cold heartless place, filled with indifference. It laughed in Eva's face as she grew even more wary at the loss of friendly faces.

She had been bodily hauled by the vice-principal of the school to her first class, the moment she opened the door. He didn't even stop to consider whether or not she should eat before her first class, just pushed her into a classroom and didn't let her out; leaving only when the teacher came in.

The rest of the day had gone just as bad. At recess, she couldn't find anywhere she could comfortably sit alone, where no one would bother her. Last time it had taken her all of recess to realize that the groups were set and that she was only an extra, that as soon as the game was over she'd be left alone, once more. She didn't want to go through that again, and just thinking about it made her younger body's eyes tear up.

She couldn't control it like when she was an adult. She got upset so easily and even though she told herself that things turn out great in the end, she still got teary eyed and pouty. It was like her mind kept screaming that she was twenty-seven, but her reactions made her five.

Lunch was just as awkward. There wasn't any place she could eat alone and it sucked that her classmates kept asking her to change seats with them because they wanted to be next to their friend. If they didn't ask her to move, they made her sit back so they could talk to each other over her; screaming at her if her head didn't let them see their friend.

'Kids are cruel' and Eva could testify to it.

Escaping at the first chance she got, Eva darted cautiously to a place she knew to always be empty. It was rainy that day, just as much as it had rained the day before, when Don Wei had left her there.

This corner in the yard was sheltered and dry, but still cold. The cold October chill had seeped in, adding more discomfort to her misery. All her painful memories of being in this place were fresh in her mind and they hurt just as much as they had the first time around. She couldn't stop herself from crying, no matter how hard she tried to think logically about things, she couldn't. She wanted…no, needed a friend. Anybody right now would do: Stan, Koji, Rick, Jordan…maybe, even Shinji…Sotai, well, she'd that about that.

Last time around, she had also hidden here to get away from it all. She knew she was going to be found by some girl. She'd scream at her to go away and said girl would only shrug, go away, and then ignore her later, never speaking to her again.

She heard foot steps approaching her little hiding place, readying herself to scare the little girl away; she waited for the girl to say something so she could properly kick her out.

"Good golly Miss Molly! Getting weepy, are we?" teased a familiar voice.

Snapping her head, to look at the intruder properly, Eva could tell that it was the same girl that had found her the first time. But, this girl…she looked like a mini Sotai!

"So…tai?" she sniffed, as the last of her tears fell from her eyes.

"Actually, it's Tinga Gatti, now; it's less serious. Sotai Akatsuki, would sound a little too, _symbolic_, if you know what I mean."

Dazedly looking up at a - sort of - friendly face, Eva couldn't be happier. She threw herself at the tiny Gazian, hugging her tightly fresh tears in her eyes, "I'm SO happy to see you!"

"That's a first." The slightly taller girl dryly stated. Checking outside to see if it wasn't raining frogs; no sign of the Apocalypse, however, presented itself.

"Yeah…that's right…I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The five year old started throttling her friend in a way that reminded anyone watching of Homer Simpson trying to kill Bart, "YOU SCREWED UP!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SCREWED UP!!! THIS ISN'T TWELVE YEARS!!! **IT'S TWENTY TWO!!!!!**"

Talk about your mood swings.

"Tinga, where'd you go?!" Ventured an elderly man's voice.

Looking up from strangling the Gazian - now six year old human girl – Eva blinked in recognition, "Ned?"

Old man Ned, from the mail office, had been the one to find Molly and bring her inside, last time. He had given her a mug of hot cocoa and had sent her to her room after he was sure she was fine – a couple hours after classes had ended -, she had still gotten into trouble.

Since, she didn't appear for dinner, the principal had asked the teacher of her last two class periods who informed her that Eva hadn't attended her classes, that day. This caused her to be in detention the first week, and to further alienate her from the rest of her classmates.

Nodding at the utterance of the elder man's name, Sotai informed her companion, "Thought he'd help! You don't exactly trust me." as though, she hadn't been choked to death, a couple seconds before.

Ignoring the disguised feline, she headed out towards the place where Ned was, Sotai not too far behind. "Over here, Ned! I found somebody."

They soon found themselves walking along side the senior on their way back to his desk. "I didn't think anybody was out there. It's too cold." Ned had good naturedly smiled at the little five year old, as he told Eva that he and Tinga had been talking when the little Gazian had mentioned that she had heard something - and had quickly gone to go find out what it was.

Leaving the girls behind in his office the old man decided to go to the kitchens to pick up something for them and that he'd be right back.

Taking advantage of the few minutes of alone time they'd have Molly snapped to in order to interrogate Sotai. "How come you never told me?"

"Tell you?" Sotai arched her brow, "It was hardly important. You didn't even recognize me, so I just let things lay. It never became an issue, before." She uncaringly answered back.

Sputtering, where she sat on the old man's desk; Molly looked down at her friend's currently ex-assistant, "What? You should have told me regardless! And, because of you, I now have to live through this whole nightmare, AGAIN!"

Sitting herself on the ground, her legs in hanza – Indian-style – Sotai looked up at the young Earther, "It wasn't my fault." She stated coldly, sending a shiver down Eva's back.

It was the first time Molly had ever heard Sotai answer back in such a tacitly threatening manner and it worried her, but she ignored it in favor of satisfying her curiosity, "Eh? But you were the one in charge of making sure everything went well! How could it not be your fault?" she asked in a demanding voice.

Sotai stayed silent for a moment, before answering, "The Guardian of Destiny was very worried over the success of our intent. So he tried to aid us with adding a bit more power to the spell. Sadly it caused me to loose control over certain aspects of the spell and thus this is the result. He has told me the moment I arrived in this era that he is DEEPLY afflicted over our new problem…"

Somewhere else in the universe, Aiden and Junko are CLEARLY in pain over the recent events…well Aiden was.

"I'M SORRY!!! I'M SOOOOO SORRY!!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!! JUNKO!!!!!"

Aiden was very afflicted by the problem at hand…his wife had sworn to never talk to him again.

"…"

"COME ON, JUNKO!!! YOU HAVE TO TALK TO ME, SOMETIME JUN-CHAN!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!! I SWEAR I'LL REMEMBER TO TELL YOU NEXT TIME!!! LOOK I'LL EVEN TELL YOU EVERYTHING NOW!!! JUN-CHAN!!!!" he nearly cried, tears already forming at the sides of his eyes.

The lady Guardian of Fate was sticking firmly to her beliefs…and her husband seemed ready to kill himself – if he could – just to get her to talk to him again. He loved her a lot.

"…he's really broken up inside over how badly this incident is affecting you, Diva Eva!" The Gazian female ended. It was a half lie…Sotai's specialty.

Narrowing her eyes, Eva dubitably asked her next question "Right…well what does Jordan think we should do?" Eva was under the impression that Jordan being a semi-immortal wouldn't be affected by the passing of time, in similar fashion to Sotai and Shinji.

"Well the funny thing about that is…" Sotai had started sheepishly.

In another school, seven year old Jordan had been messing around with a math exercise that he had been having a bit of difficulty with, when suddenly he had the distinct feeling that he was forgetting something…something important. He'd had this feeling every so often today. Maybe, it was his grannies birthday, he always forgot when it was supposed to be. It was going to be this month, right?

"What do you mean, he forgot?" Eva snapped, glaring imperiously down at the Gazian.

"He just did." She calmly told her interrogator, emphasis on 'gator' "The fifteen years weren't up, yet. So…" she intentionally left the sentence hanging.

"Meh, Dolly Molly, don't be so upset." Sotai tried to pacify the Terran woman turned child, as Ned unexpectedly came back into the room. "Hmmm…Molly?" the older man looked at Sotai inquisitively, "I thought her name was Eva?"

Eva jumped in her seat at the sudden arrival of the school's postmaster, whilst Sotai calmly looked over her shoulder, smiling at the new arrival. "One time I saw her do this thing, right? She was using that name and did something, really cool! So, she's Molly, 'cause she did that super cool thing…and she looks like a Molly, too!!!" the six year old looking Gazian energetically replied.

Making no sense to either Earther, but Ned only patted her on the head, for the last four months the little tyke had been there, she'd say something too well thought out for a child of her age and then randomly say something pretty immature. So, he didn't worry too much about her reason for calling little Eva, Molly.

"Well, I brought you two ladies some hot chocolate. Better drink it while it's hot." He amiably told them.

There was a pleasant silence, as they drank their warm beverages. Eva for the life of her, didn't know or understand Sotai's answer and the closest she thought up that could be the 'cool thing' she did was race in the Great Oban star race and that Jordan had a habit of calling her Molly so it probably rubbed off on his assistants, since Shinji called her Molly, too.

Sotai seemed oblivious to the world as she drank her hot cocoa, Eva seriously thought that the alien mini-sadist had a mountain sized sweat tooth, and thus liked sweats of all kinds. Ice cream, just so happened to be a probable addictive food for other species, she guessed.

They were, however, rudely interrupted, by the furious entrance of the principal and the vice-principal. "What is the meaning of this?" She demanded from the group, "During dinner, I noticed that our newest pupil wasn't in attendance. So, I had a chat with Ms. Lewknor to ask her why Miss Wei wasn't present. She told me, that you young miss" she frighteningly scowled at Eva, "didn't even show up for her class!"

Ned stood to the side. He couldn't help the poor young girl and he knew it. Poor thing had just lost a mother and now was even allowed to cry in peace. He was a great fan of her mother's; hell, he had known Maya Wei's family before the Crog attack, a good fifteen years ago.

Advancing two steps forward, to intimidate the young girl, "Well, you'll learn to respect the rules. In Stern Boarding School, you WILL learn to follow everything we tell you to do, starting with your detention…"

Eva remembered well, what it was she was supposed to do for this so called 'detention', she was sure there should have been a law against making a **five year old** scrub an entire kitchen clean. Readying herself for her punishment – as well as she could in this predicament – she almost fell over when Sotai stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Stern. But, this was ALL my fault!" everyone turned to look at 'Tinga'. "You see, I found Eva crying in a corner. She said she felt sick, 'cause she hadn't had breakfast that morning…" the vice-principal started to sweat, in his hurry to get Eva to her class he had intentionally gone against his wife's orders "and I was SO scared that I brought her to Ned, 'cause classes had ended an' I don't know where the nurse's office and Ned is so nice and he gave us **hot chocolate**" lifting her near empty mug, she smiled, "See?! And I'm really sorry, so I…want to do the detention thing cause Eva didn't know, honest, she's new!"

Mrs. Stern looked at the young six year old, it wasn't often kids did these sort of things, "Very well, Ms. Gatti. Tomorrow you report to the kitchens to scrub them clean. But, for now, since you're so interested in helping Ms. Wei why don't you take her back to her room. I'm sure, at least, little Eva knows where that is. Neither one of you will eat dinner tonight since you both caused this horrible mess, is that clear?"

Nodding both girls skedaddled out of the room and rushed to where they knew were the dorms.

On their way, Molly just had to ask why, "Why'd you do that?" her curiosity demanded that she ask.

Waving her hand, in non-interested movements the Gazian wryly smiled back at her child-like companion, "Well, I couldn't figure out what else to get you for your birthday."

**DaCat:** Hmmm…Should I spend my time explaining away their years in boarding school or just get to the race?

I tried to answer two questions here why Sotai like ice-cream and why Sotai calls Eva, Molly. Answered in a very Sotai-like fashion, sorry about that, but Eva did ask about a person who rarely speaks about herself. The rest are suppositions…who knows how right they are, anyway.

Crazyvegimab I'm so happy you're not bored of me yet. Very thankful of the bribe, cookies are really yummy!!! Junko's name came to me, while I was thinking about Shaman King's Jun, actually. I never really thought she was like Junko from Nana, though. I've only seen the anime, so I'm not sure if she's more like the manga version.

Star Fata NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't stop the bribes. I was only mentioning that, 'cause my hand got a little achy each time I try to reach into the monitor to grab them. Aiden's evil in his own way, really. He seems to be a very Komui Lee-ish (D.Greyman) very hyper…sometimes scary guy. Hehehehehe XD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spellcaster Hikaru Well…I tried to explain the ice-cream bit. Glad you liked it.

**SWT:** I'm glad some people seem to recognize I exist even if only a little. Oh well, DaCat is the one writing I should expect that.

Anyway, Eva is a child genius but only by default.

**DaCat**: Oh yes, before I forget. Sotai's name is pretty symbolic. Akatsuki means Red moon in Japanese, Sotai, on the other hand means the binding part of a contract in Hebrew. So, I guess, her name means that she is the binding part of the contract you have with death. A very morbid idea, don't you think?

As for her, human name…Tinga is the Australian aboriginal word for woman and Gatti is Italian for a person with cat-like agility. Which describes any female Gazian, actually.


	13. Adventures in Bagland

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 13: Adventures in Bagland**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue. But we own every Gazian, every Perkgurean and Sotai's magic bag. The Norse stuff…is basically my version of old myths. So practically it is MINE, too._

If there was ever a time, Eva thought Sotai would decide to grow up and be semi-decent to the rest of the world, she never would have guessed it would be at the Stern Boarding School.

Sure, the mischievous Gazian still tended to play pranks on unsuspecting pedestrians, teased her and had at some point or another manipulated her life to whatever end she pleased. However, her usual troublemaking tendencies had the unexpected variable that Sotai's mischief now had favorable results.

Instead of, pranking those around her just to get a quick laugh, she now secretly did it in the dead of night or during free time in which nobody would be the wiser as to her sudden disappearances. She never took credit for them, either.

The biggest oddity was that her victims had it coming. They were the bullies that made people miserable by picking on those who wouldn't fight back or just didn't have anyone to side with them. The popular kids who were favored by the teachers and, sometimes, a couple of the faculty members were included on this list.

Molly – who was now twelve - was one of those who didn't have anyone who sided with her; at least, not in the beginning. It had taken Sotai a couple of years after the taunting had started to decide to shut up the much older popular crowd, and those horrible whispers of Eva's lack of parents had been the deciding factor.

Eva never wanted 'Tinga' to get involved with her business, but the moment she did things changed…for the better.

The sadistic thirteen year-old, seemed to have mellowed down enough for her to be popular herself. She was playful, funny, intelligent and pretty, too. Well, pretty enough, but she wasn't a boy magnet. Mostly, because she always walked around in the school skirt, the short sleeved-blouse was a couple sizes too big so it reached to her mid-thigh was completely unbuttoned with a skin tight black t-shirt – with the words 'Not into Pedophilia!' emblazed, with a golden font, upon the fabric – underneath.

It was kind of funny, but it only made Eva laugh out loud. Nobody else was aware of her 'older than though by a WHOLE BUNCH' situation.

Sotai's outfit made it clear that she was a tomboy. And gave off the message, I'll be your best friend…just not girlfriend, to the rest of the male population; which, suited the sneaky girl just fine.

But, it only went far enough so as to not give the teachers anything to sanction her for - unlike the incident where Eva just one day came to class with the boy's uniform – which she continued to do ever after.

Things had changed for Eva just fine. Shinji visited every so often – mostly to get Sotai to reconsider staying here for much longer than she should have – and normally visited both girls to talk with them and to have some sort of back-up whilst talking to 'Tinga'.

Sotai took advantage of it, by saying that 'her dad' was Eva's mom's second cousin and he's doing Eva's dad a favor by checking up on her, while he's visiting his 'daughter' to anyone who asked. It solved things because that made the two family, and no one who wanted to get in 'Tinga's' good favor could upset Eva as a consequence.

Eva's independent nature made it so that Sotai's efforts weren't really appreciated. She yelled at her, mostly. But, that really didn't deter Sotai much. There was no way Eva could use ice-cream as a lever in Boarding school. Molly had enough trouble bringing machinery in, as it was.

One day, however, something came in the mail for the Gazian. It was a small package that had been sent from somewhere in Latin America, from somebody named Heimdall.

Molly had pegged it as odd that Sotai would receive something so solemnly, when it came from somebody she swore was a close childhood friend of hers.

Not taking a moment to wonder what it was, the mischievous feline took out her beige book bag, the one she had brought with her when she stayed at the Wei household for a couple of months – that just so happened to be magically bottomless – and put the package there. "Don't even think of looking for it." She had threatened her human friend amusedly, before slinking off to do some project for her science class.

Eva was never one to let things lie. "Hey, wait! Isn't that from the one from that guy who gave my dad trouble? Why won't you open it, I thought you guys were best friends?" she asked, as she doggedly followed the indigo-eyed girl into the next room.

"One and the same." Tinga answered, picking up her school book bag, shuffling around the papers inside, "I don't need to read it. Either way…I already know what it is." Finding the right folder, she took it out and started sorting through a couple pages, searching the one with her projects instructions on it.

Sitting on her friend's bed, she crossed her arms looking for all intents and purposes confused, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Reading her project's instructions, she distractedly answered, "I asked him to find something for me and now I have it. I trust him enough, to not need to check it." Turning away from the piece of paper in her hands, "Now if you don't mind, I need to get to work. You can interrogate me all you want, later. OK, Diva Eva?" She teasingly vowed as she shooed the twelve year-old over her turned shoulder.

Huffing at Sotai's dismissal, Eva took her time in leaving the older girl's room secretly grabbing the magical bottomless bag, in which the mysterious package had been placed.

Locking herself in her own room, she studied the bag. It looked…worn out and old. It clashed with any type of outfit Molly could imagine existed. The beige color and the bag's course fabric helped make it look even more beat up than it already was. Why Sotai kept a bag like this one around, only God knew.

Grabbing around inside the bag, as soon as she was comfortably sitting on her bed, Eva tried to find the package Sotai had so apathetically thrown into it.

She knew she shouldn't have just taken the bag. But, she was tired of guessing who the crazy feline really was. She was tired of being friends with the Mona Lisa. She could spend years, centuries even, by her side and never understand why she's smiling. It was frustrating that she knew nothing about her only childhood friend.

She knew Sotai like her because Molly had unknowingly impressed her at one point. But, after a while she started suspecting that the indigo-eyed girl's interest in her laid in the Terran girl's non-fear of her presence. Eva had to recognize that unlike everyone else, Sotai didn't make her cringe in dread and the farthest the feline had ever done to scare her, was to talk harshly.

It was an odd thing; Jordan had once commented with her, that she could rage against the Gazian and nothing bad would come of it, whilst one look at anyone else and they'd lose courage to continue after a few words.

She felt a little guilty to have taken something from a friend that had helped her so much, even if she didn't want said help in the first place.

Such as the time she had been signed up for the basketball team because she had been such a shrimp when she grew up…that this time Sotai would make sure that she **would** grow up.

Remembering that moment in time all doubt vanished from her mind, she WAS going to find that package and make Sotai open it. Treating a friend's gift without so much as opening it or sending a thank-you card, was unforgivable to Eva. You don't treat friends so coldly, even if it wasn't towards them it was towards the effort they put into helping the her, it was just as bad.

Still digging inside of the worn out, old bag Molly started to stick her arm farther and farther inside. Where was it? Finally, sticking her entire arm, impatiently, trying to find the package, something grabbed her and pulled her in. "Wha…LET GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

IT dragged her in slowly but surely. Leaving Molly no choice but to follow…desperately kicking and shouting for help, with no avail. She was hauled into the bag.

Inside it was…was that a beach…with waves…and was that a breeze??????

Looking around Molly tried to find what had pulled her in, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing, when she found it. Right next to her, hovering in the air, a plump baby wyvern-like creature was looking at her with adorable golden eyes.

Its onyx colored body was devoid of any hair, and its front legs were short, curled close to its form, with its three, five-centimeter long, fingers curled inwards.

It tilted its head to look at her. It was so adorably cute, so very cute! "Hey, are you the nasty little rascal that dragged me in here? You shouldn't do that! No matter how cute you are!" she cued at the baby dragon.

The dragon nodded as if it understood her, purring under her hand as she started to pet him. It was pretty cute and if it had been anyone other than Molly maybe they'd have squealed in delight as they glomped the little creature.

However, being logical reason-bound Eva – who just so happened to have temper issues when it came to Sotai – she turned her attention from the black colored floating reptile to the world around her. There were sandy beaches for as far as the eye could see, the ocean that continued into the horizon, and vast mountains at her back.

It was truly a world of its own. She could feel the texture of the sand under her feet, feel the ocean spray on her face…the only thing missing was the sun. There were no celestial bodies in the sky, but the light was just the same.

"This is unbelievable! How'd she do this?" she awed at the scenes before her. "Kyuu!" the little wyvern beside her, crooned.

Looking at her new friend, "I know you probably are pretty used to this…but, I don't deal with magic everyday." The baby dragon just blinked as it tilted its small head in confusion at her words, "Hey do you know a way out?" the Terran pre-teen asked the hovering hatchling.

The baby Kyuu-ed once as it circled around her and slowly flew away with ease, Kyuu-ing as it turned to look at her from afar to continue its way a little ways away to do the same thing, once again.

Pleased, Eva smiled in satisfaction "Great! Let's go!"

The world inside the Gazian's bag didn't seem to abide by any rules, however, and Molly quickly found that spaces such as the beach were she had landed were not a common thing inside this alternate universe.

No, it seemed more like a giant world sectioned off into equally giant rooms that were connected by hallways, plazas and, she even had to pass through a swamp to get to the next room, at one point. Most rooms seemed to be giant storage areas.

There had been this one room, which had been a large armory; weapons of all kinds dressing one of the walls with a couple of shelves at the back. In the middle of the room, there were three pedestals with a different weapon displayed in each one.

The first was the pure black staff; Sotai had used to draw figures in the sand during the time-travel ritual, to send her back into the past. It had a tablet that named it, Laevateinn.

The second were a pair of daggers, in equally dark sheaths, with belt straps placed at a side of the pedestal. This one too had a plate, stating its name to be Kekoa.

The third…wasn't there; although, in similar fashion to the others it too had a name, Tsukiyomi.

The idea that Sotai had so many things she could use to cut, maim, gut, and shoot a person with, was disquieting and gave her a sick feeling at the back of her throat.

She knew Sotai liked to tease people and even do a bunch of dangerous stunts, but she had the Gazian pegged as someone who'd run before getting involved in a fist fight. That she could effectively use anything in this room…scared her.

She knew she was jumping to conclusions; Sotai didn't fight back, she never did. Her feline friend liked peace a little too much. So, the most likely idea was that she collected theses things; probably won it from a particularly good bet.

Molly had indeed, found out about Shinji's and Sotai's bets on just how much she'd screw around with the future. Enough to say that Molly and Sotai had gone and had a mini war screwing with others lives. Sotai won.

Molly, not only had gotten ringed into the basketball team – because last time she was a shrimp. But, Sotai ensured that she would then have re-learn mechanics once again – you forgot how to fix a different seat to your motorbike, you NEED practice - , and also learn a basic form of martial arts – for personal defense.

In retaliation, Sotai had gotten pegged with the Basketball team, Archery, History and the recently made Anime/Manga Club; shame, it was all for naught when Sotai gleefully pranced around when she found out.

Another room, which had impressed her, had been the library. Books of all kinds were stacked on shelves that covered most of all four walls and even revolved around a fountain in the middle of the room, which eerily was a coal black color.

"I knew she was a book worm, but this…" looking at an entire shelf composed solely on Norse and Christian Myths and legends, "is not **just** a little weird."

The continuous reoccurring black themes made Molly seriously consider whether black was the Gazian's favorite color, and Sotai hadn't been pulling her leg when she had said "Black is OK, but indigo is the best of the best!"

The little creature, Eva had dubbed 'Kyuu' - since that was the only sound it made - only swerved around her, getting pats every so often, totally uninterested in the room's contents after surely seeing it far too many times to care.

Leading her to another room, Eva froze up at the door. This room…this room looked like a museum's display of the contents of a pharaoh's personal treasury…and it felt **evil**. Eva never stopped having those feelings she had back on Oban, they had never steered her wrong and now they were telling her to get the hell out of there.

Too bad, Kyuu wanted to take her through the room. It kept turning around and Kyuu-ing for her to follow. Deciding to risk the room in favor of finding the way out of **The Bag**, she cautiously trailed the floating dragon hatchling.

Half way across the room, a golden ring had abruptly caught Eva's eye. It was golden and beautifully made, shining brightly in the dimly lit room. It seemed to call for her to come closer so she could see it better. Her curiosity had not thrilled her small escort. It had tries various times to warn or even get in her way. But, what could just getting a closer look do? She wasn't going to touch it.

She didn't really need to. As soon as she was close enough the ring seemed to just breathe in and that's where everything went wrong…so very wrong.

In a small, yet tasteful restaurant in Lima-Peru, two men looked up as they felt Andvarinaut, the Norse ring of destruction breathe once more.

A young man, which seemed no older than eighteen with grey-ish white hair and dressed in a plain white t-shirt and stormy white cargo pants, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the sky, face expressionless, "There are ways to teach people a lesson, but that's just plain cruel."

"Oh, I don't know." Stated the red-headed male across from him, "Chaos is a great way to learn a lesson well, wouldn't you say?" smiling charmingly at a couple of pretty girls as they passed their table, making both girls swoon at the sight. He was very handsome; dressed in a thin sleek bright fire engine red jacket, black pants, dark-brown and red shakiras adorning his neck, and no shirt at all.

He seemed a bit too comfortable in the hot Peruvian summer. The February heat, made the streets similar to a frying pan, quickly scorching the soles of your feet and burning your skin, if out too long.

"You can't be serious." snapped the serious white-haired teen. "You moron, mortals can't stand the effects of that ring!"

Waving off the other's anger, the potential play-boy smiled "Vindhlér, My dear Heimdall, you have no trust in our little Tinga. She knows what she's doing and if something bad happens I can always talk to Hel."

"I hate you! I really hate you!!!!" screeched the before apathetic, now fuming, boy.

Looking worriedly at a bunch of kids with water balloons coming up the block, "I can live with that…what do you say we find a table inside…it looks like your love for me is getting your chair a bit wet."

Withholding the gagging reflex, Heimdall screamed in perfect Spanish at the kids coming up the block "¡Oigan, ustedes! Este marica quiere mojarse un poco. ¿Por qué no juegan con él?"

To anyone not familiar with Spanish, the white haired youth had screamed, "Hey, you guys! This fag wants to get wet. Why don't you play with him, a bit?"

Back at the Stern Boarding School, Sotai could swear she needed to bash some sense into another of her childhood friends; not Heimdall. Maybe, **him**?Damn play boy, always doing/saying the most insolently lewd things to Heimdall just to get him angry.

Maybe, she'd send him a cursed mirror that bites you if stay in front of it, for far too long. That narcissist needed a cruel wake-up call, every now and then.

Returning to her previous thoughts, Sotai didn't know whether or not to help little Dolly Molly. She took her bag and snooped through her things. The Gazian knew that little Eva was sick and tired of being friends with a person that was never open about themselves. But, really, didn't everyone have the right to be tight lipped about certain things.

The whole point was to teach her to read people, without asking them anything too personal about themselves. That plan had gone out the window the moment Molly got too curious for her own good.

Hmmm…now the saving Eva, bit. Well, she had done a good job until…she ignored little Tsu-chan's warnings. She'd best wait and see if the Earther needed saving. She'd still get screamed at, so why bother pulling the plug on her lesson.

Eva was had frantically run out of the museum-like room, in which she had seen the ring. The chaos and destruction that occurred after the ring has 'breathed' had scared witless. A line of ancient-looking closed jar had all exploded, tables had shaken on their legs, and glasses had precariously balanced on their bases; all as if a vengeful ghost had stormed through the room.

She desperately ran towards the exit, Kyuu dragging her by her arm, never looking back. If she had, she would have realized that she had accidentally let something free…something that didn't appear to be as friendly as Kyuu was.

She only stopped to take a breath, as soon as, she arrived at the next room. This room was filled with innumerable photos on desks, coffee tables, but most of the pictures were placed on the walls.

The crimson-eyed decided to explore the room, as she interpreted the baby wyvern's re-found comfort in this room reason enough to feel safe again.

The picture found in this room had all sorts of creatures and people smiling, growling, looking serious…she even found one in which Sotai, the human-looking Gazian, appeared. These pictures were with either Avatars of the past or two men – one with red hair, who looked like a total play boy, and a white-haired eighteen year-old, who always dressed in whites and grays.

Something, she realized about most of these pictures was that Sotai wore a necklace. This necklace could also be seen in various other photographs, with different girls…although; Molly belatedly remembered that Gazians were shape-shifters, so it could have been her, all along.

This necklace had three wooden claw-like beads - on either side of a bright blue teardrop jewel that had a tasteful Celtic knot surrounding it – with plain wooden round beads in between them and the jewel.

Eva wondered why was it that Sotai didn't were it anymore. In fact, the photographs with the necklace seemed much older, with a different set of materials, than the ones with the Avatars. What could have happened for her to stop using it?

As she slowly walked around the room, pondering the question, Kyuu had taken to sniffing about. The smell of the room was funny, different – a bad different. The hatchling followed the smell all around the room, finally arriving at one of the many exits this room had.

The door was slightly ajar, so the little dragon peaked in without touching the door; something was in there and it didn't want to alert it that they were there.

Clearly distressed about what it saw out there, the small flying reptile hurriedly grabbed Eva's arm and tried to drag her out the door. Alarmed by the sudden change in the dragon as it pulled on her, she yelled out in surprise "Hey! Wha…what are you doing? LET GO!"

She shouldn't have raised her voice. The previously ajar doors were viciously pushed open and the thing, that had been resting in the other room, moved into sight.

Molly couldn't help, but gawk. How the HECK did Sotai come to have a moving tyrannosaur skeleton?

Her amazement was short lived when the thing gave out a deafening roar and lunged at her. Quickly giving in to Kyuu's tugging she rapidly dived out of the room and just kept moving, hearing the Rex in hot pursuit just eleven meters behind her and gaining.

Kyuu tugged her off the road and she was hasty to comply. She ended up sprinting through a highly forested area, with dense foliage. It did, however, help her loose the Rex, after a while.

Resting against a tree, it took a good ten minutes to catch her breath. She was so tired, where was the way out? "You sure this is the right path out of here?" she asked Kyuu as soon as she was sure she could speak again. "No, but I'm quite sure your fat-ass knows it's on private property, human!" cried a shrill voice.

Startled, Eva looked this way and that, not finding the voice she turned towards the black colored wyvern "Kyuu, did you say something?" Hearing a second shrill voice sneer she looked up, "Shadow dragons don't talk, idiot. Us, pixies do. Want to hear us cuss, too?" as she looked towards the tree's branches, she saw two of the ugliest fairies dangling from strings tied to the tree's branches. "Pixies? Your pixies? You don't exactly look…"

"Charming" crowed the first pixie, in malicious glee. "How about you take that number 17 IQ of yours and shove it? Hmmm, princess?" mocked the second tied up critter.

"Hey, watch it! Or, I'll…" Eva started, but she was quickly interrupted by the first of the pixies, "You'll what, sugar? Beat us with a stick, hah, what a laugh! What a moron!" they shrilly laughed in unison.

"Stop calling me an idiot!" Molly growled at them, "Can't help it, girlie. Ya walk funny and have bad breath; cause we can smell it from here. P U!" snickered the second tied up pixie.

"SHUT UP! Or, I'll use you as piñatas!" Eva was quick to spit out in her fury. The pixies didn't look too worried. "This from stupid, who activated the Andvarinaut. How dumb are ya? Just curious, are ya dumb enough to get eaten or dumb enough to try and ask a Dark-Lord's pet for help?"

Noticing the Rex pushing its bony bulk through the foliage, she ran off without as much as a good riddance, "I hope you get eaten!" the ill-wishing pixies shrieked after her.

Freeing itself, soon after, the Rex raced after her. The pixies, however noticed that they were in trajectory with the Rex's swishing tail. The second pixie looked at the first, and said in parody of a Star Trek episode, they must have seen at one point in their wretched lives "What shall we do Captain? It's going to blow…us around!"

Following the second's lead the first pixie, answered false bravado "Wait for my signal number one, then we jump!"

Nodding the second pixie, dramatically, "Captain…its pretty close…I know I never said anything before, but I love you captain!"

"Wait for it!" ordered the first.

"But, It's coming in too fast…" squealed the second.

"Now!" yelled the captain.

"Now? Are you sure?" the second asked nervously.

"Say what…yes, NOW!" and the both jumped above and around the Rex's tail like ping-pong balls, effectively evading the near hit. "Hehe, stupid dino!" they laughed at the retreating dinosaurs back.

They unfortunately forgot about the tip of the Rex's long tail, which effectively whipped at them hard enough to tie them tightly around their branch.

Back with Eva, she was rapidly jumping over logs, taking sharp turns, dodging vines all in order to lose the T-rex that by some miracle had yet to fall behind, this time around. It was, in fact gaining on her. The tyrannosaurus was five meters behind her and gaining; if she didn't do anything then all would be lost. Kyuu didn't seem to want to go off the road and insisted they kept going forward.

Snapping its gapping maw at the terrified girl, the Rex slowly got closer. Trying once again to catch its prey it snapped again, it got its head pounded in by a club. Turning to look behind her when she heard the crash and thud; Molly's eyes fell on the would-be-bloody scene of a troll creature, ripping out the dinosaur's lower jaw and throwing it into the foliage.

She stood there petrified as the troll-ish creature turned to look at her. Kyuu was furiously tugging at her to move, NOW! This time, Eva ran with little problem. Only looking behind her a couple minutes later to realize the troll thing was following her by running across tree trunks. THAT **really** got her to move, even faster than before.

There was a glowy opening, in the direction Kyuu was tugging her, up ahead. As she ran for it, with everything she had the troll cued in a grave voice, "Come here little girly, I gotta dank you. I gotta dank you, A LOT!!!"

Not even bothering with an answer; Eva, as soon as, she came within jumping distance of the glowy doorway threw herself through it landing back in her room, beside a grinning Sotai.

Grabbing Kyuu and pulling Sotai away from the bag, the Terran girl cried, "Watch out its coming! The Troll!!"

They didn't have to wait long for the ugly looking creature to come out of the Gazian's bag.

In all of its putrid smelling gray skinned glory, the troll popped out and turned to lunge at the girls. At least, he would have had he not seen Sotai. "Forgive me!" it bowed to the feline, "But, the girly she broke your glowy room and unsealed me! I wanted to dank her!" it darkly chuckled, thinking the Gazian would want retribution for the girl's deeds and rightly give him the honors.

The young alien looked impassively at the creature, "**Return to your jar and re-seal yourself.**" She uttered her voice was low and had developed a distinct echo. The creature's reaction to this order amazed Molly quite a bit: It seemed to have fallen in a deep trance, as it quietly dragged itself away and back into the bag – a vacant look in its eyes.

"I should have let him have you. Why do you think I didn't?" Sotai turned to look at Eva; her voice back to normal. "It's because I consider you a friend. I don't need to know your past to properly care about you as one. But, you **Eva Wei **should have shown me the proper respect and allowed me to remain, as was." She sternly reprimanded the girl - eyes narrowed, lips pursed, hands on her hips – looking down the short height she had over the younger girl.

Properly ashamed Eva looked down at the ground, not daring to look into the indigo eyes of her companion. The full use of her name was something unheard of from Sotai's lips.

"But, your off the hook this time." She lightly added. Snapping her head upright to better see the feline, Molly couldn't believe she was off just like that "But…" Interrupting the Earther, Sotai continued "If you didn't get caught behind bars by just entering my bag, Molly Dolly, then I've got my work cut out for me. You're magical!"

"And, in light of your magical origins, I'll show you what Dally-chan sent me!" she gaily added.

Dazedly standing there, with Kyuu nudging her for a pat every so often, Eva couldn't believe what was happening. Her day had been too hectic and anything more …well, she wasn't sure what she'd do.

"Here it is!" the feline stated as she easily took the package from the bag. Carefully, tearing off the brown wrapping paper, she cautiously took the object from the bag.

It was the same necklace. The same one she had worn in so many of the pictures in the photo room. "This is Moongarm, a very powerful, very dangerous amulet; straight from the Norse world of Jotunheim. The same one the Zydeco and the Crog Imperium wanted to get their claws on."

Laughing lightly at Molly's surprised expression she continued, "Shinji gave it to me when it was still a normal necklace, a VERY long time ago…but, I have a habit of, you know, tweaking things."

Especially people, Molly quietly thought to herself.

Putting the amulet back into her bag, she called over Kyuu, "Go on, Tsu-chan. I'll miss you a lot, but you need to return. Back you go!" as she gave it a great hug.

Blinking at the little wyvern's name, the crimson-eyed girl tilted her head, questioningly, "Tsu-chan?"

Still being cuddled by its mistress, the creature gave a loud Kyuu at the sound of its name. "Yes, Tsu-chan. It's short for Tsukiyomi." Eva only nodded at the strange name – she swore she's heard that name before - "Poor thing; probably too traumatized by its own name, to care." She cynically whispered to herself.

Seemingly not hearing the scathing reply of her friend, Sotai let the black dragon hatchling return to its home within her travel bag. However, the smirk she sported on her features said otherwise. "Dolly Molly this ALL happened because you wanted to learn more about me, correct?"

Accenting her head, in agreement, Sotai continued, "Then I'll tell you something that you may need to know about me."

Leaning in closer to the young Wei, Tinga uttered quietly, "Can you keep a secret?"

Uncertainty passed through the Earther's features, "Yes…"

Smiling contentedly, Sotai turned to leave the room, "Great! Then that's something we both have in common!"

It was in that moment, Eva decided to just give up. It wasn't worth it.

Junko had finally stopped giving Aiden the silent treatment a couple years back and now she had another question for her husband and his nefarious plots. "Why'd you force that girl to enter your sister's bag?" she calmly asked him.

Smiling the mysterious smile he was known for, Aiden responded in kind "Someone had to get Eva to give-up and my baby sister has too much patience for her own good. Besides, what better way to set the stage without anyone pointing fingers at me; no one will be the wiser."

Lifting one eyebrow the Lycan, now human-looking woman, stared at her husband, "Except for Sotai, Heimdall, Loki and, of course me."

"Details, Details!" The Gazian male chuckled uncertainly on his seat, drinking a glass of water. "I think my drink need a little humpf! What do you think?"

A scathing remark in cold unfeeling tones came with a biting edge from his wife, "It's water. It doesn't need anything."

Blinking a couple of times, he looked at his drink, "Ooooooh! Hmmm…how'd that happen?"

**DaCat**: I like Mythology, OK. My computer is totally and completely dead, so I've been using the ones at my university. Be glad it's done, because it freaks me out that all five of the guys who watch over the computer room, here know my name. The Norse mythology thing was used to get things done faster…although now I'll have to tweak my story a bit to get things to agree with all the new stuff I've introduced. Meh! How troublesome.

Lets see, first I have to give thanks to Fushica. Your review got me thinking that maybe, there should be a bit more of an Alice in Wonderland thing going on; if only for one chapter. Besides I think Eva needs a lot more screen time.

Laevateinn comes from Norse mythology and it's supposedly the flaming sword that only choice warriors could use. The God, Frey gave it away and will supposedly be killed with it, when Ragnarok (The Norse Apocalypse) comes. It has a couple other names, such as the Wounding Wand and the Staff of Destruction, which is the meaning I chose to use.

Kekoa is a Hawaiian name it means "the brave one".

Tsukiyomi was a Japanese god who never had a definite gender: sometimes a he and others a she. This god is the anti-thesis of the sun goddess Amaterasu, who was his sister. She kicked Tsukiyomi out of the heavens, because he killed Uke Mochi, the goddess of food, because he was disgusted that the feast she had prepared for them had all been spewed out of her mouth. This tale is supposed to explain the reason, night and day are never together.

Heimdall in this story is in deed the White God from Norse myth. The Guardian of the Rainbow bridge, Bifrost; he goes by many names and the one his companion used was Vindhlér, which means Wind Shelter. I'm not too sure why he was called that, I just now that he was.

Loki is Heimdall's disturbingly vulgar companion, and as far as either one of them is concerned they only have Sotai as a best friend in common. The Norse weren't kidding when they said they would kill each other at Ragnarok, they HATE each other and will only get along for business or Sotai related issues, anything else…well you don't want to know what bedlam the God of Chaos and Fire can cook up in conjunction with a pissed off Heimdall.

Hel is Loki's half-dead, half-alive daughter, who was forced to become queen of the Norse world of the dead. Niflheim is one of the nine worlds held by the World tree Yggdrasil.

Andvarinaut is the evil ring from _Ring of the Nibelung_ and the story goes that Loki had stolen this ring from a dwarf named Andvari to use to pay for Odin's and one of his brothers – in some versions it was Tyr – release, since they accidentally killed their hosts son – who had turned himself into an otter for some reason. This ring is aptly named the Ring of Destruction, because of the curse Andvari put on it would destroy any who possessed it. It was forever lost after the events of the story.

Moongarm, Sotai's necklace, is based on a Norse monster. He was a giant in the form of a wolf that just so happened to be the biggest and meanest wolf – right behind Fenrir – there ever was. According to Snorri Sturluson, Moongarm was filled with blood of all those who had died. He will eventually swallow the heavenly bodies, spattering the sky and heaven with blood. This would cause the sun not to shine, and violent winds would rage unabated. For this reason, Moongarm was known as the sun's snatcher. Just makes you wonder what Sotai's necklace can do and how she tweaked it.

Star Fata, ooooohhhhh BRIBES gimmee! Glad you liked the b-day thing, it was a spur of the moment thing.

Crazyvegimab, I know! Things would get a little boring if Molly didn't have company. Sotai is supposed to be mysterious, but I keep making her scarier, evil scary. Her name, the stuff she uses, everything. But even if it's scary it is still pretty cool. XD

**SWT**: It long so very long, more than twice as long as usual. APPRECIATE IT!!!!!!!!!! We like the feeling of the long beautiful moment after this wonderful creation. So review so we can feel good about ourselves!!!


	14. Squee, Shinji Squee!

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 14: Squee!!!! Shinji Squee!!!!!!!**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue. But we own every Gazian, every Perkgurean and Sotai's magic bag. The Norse stuff…is basically my version of old myths. So practically it is MINE, too._

As Sebastian Gatti – Shinji's thirty-nine year-old human alter ego – continued to type away at his computer, going over the legal proceedings his company was overseeing in an international trade between itself and two other export companies, his **male** secretary kept his female coworkers FAR AWAY!!! He doesn't trust human women - above twenty – anymore.

It was the twelfth day of February and Shinji had no desire to affiliate with any of his female coworkers. He may be 'married' but they found that there really was no damage in giving him gifts, as well was the occasional lunch. Back on his planet, he or his wife had the right to run them out of their territory or beat them into their rightful place. If only he could do that here…

Maybe, he should give Mr. Walker – his secretary – a raise for having to deal with such stupidity, along with his usual chores. God knew he wouldn't stand for it, wife or no wife.

Valentine's Day was a horrible time of the year as far as he was concerned. There was pink and red everywhere, hearts and candy that were much too sweet to enjoy and the happy goo-goo eyed couples…well it wasn't that bad as long as no one harassed him.

He really did like the idea behind the human holiday. In fact, at one point in time while checking out the planet's technological progress – to see if it could apply for the great Oban Race, back when they worked for Satis - Sotai had teased him by saying that he was a hopeless romantic at heart…well, more like, she accused him of being filled with toxic goop for liking all that romantic _stuff_.

"I knew it! You're too nice to not be one of THEM!!!" she had accused him at the video rental store called, 'Luis's video rental'.

Putting down the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, he took his time to stare impassively at the woman, "One of what?"

"You're a ROMANTIC!!! A hopeless romantic! You go Squee inside!!!" she flailed her arms as if to help make her point.

"Squee?" he arched his brow, dryly questioning her logic.

"It's what hopeless romantics, like you, and Valentine's Day are made out of: the evil goopy, love-love evilness of Squee!!!!" She blamed him.

He never got what was so bad about being a romantic, but the fact that she loved Action/Adventure flicks with the occasional Horror, didn't make it easy to find a quality film they'd both enjoyed, that decade or any of the following ones.

He had to get a game plan ready for the next few days. Just because this was the last year he'd be stuck in this rat-trap, didn't make things any easier. Valentine's Day was just a couple days away and he had no game plan as to how to successfully escape the evil harpies – otherwise known as his female coworkers and clients.

Returning back to his two day count down, before he had no other options but to run and hide, he decided to ask advice from the only Earther he knew could understand enough to help him…but Jordan currently didn't know he existed, so he decided on Eva.

"So let me get this straight…you have an adult version of a fan club harassing you…and you don't want me to tell **her**, why?" She had suspiciously asked, after being told the near unreal problem Jordan's future assistant was having.

Of course, said help, would only be accepted **if** Sotai wouldn't find out.

"Because, I'll pay you back; I'll do anything to repay you…within reason." He pleaded over the Boarding school's phone.

"You'll even let me out and give me permission to _properly _celebrate Valentine's Day, **outside my school**?" she bargained over the phone, clearly interested in just how she could use this to her advantage.

The Perkgurean was certain that she had been overly exposed to his Gazian counterpart, so giving her a change of scenery would probably be VERY healthy before letting her take part in the great race.

"Very, well" he sighed accepting the girl's terms, "What do you have in mind?" He was already too tired of trying everything that came to mind, sans murder, torture and harassment, to get these women to leave him alone.

Enlisting the help of a fourteen year-old girl probably seemed cowardly at first glance, but really it's Molly or the EVIL SADIST WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, also known as his partner. It's a no-brainer; he had no interest in sending the poor women to an asylum.

"Well…" and thus a moderately odd plan was concocted between the two.

The plan consisted in 'Sebastian' letting it slip to his coworkers that he and his wife were splitting up and that he had a lunch meeting with his lawyer on Valentine's Day. He would ask early leave from the senior partners and depart from the firm at around 11a.m. – so to avoid dealing too much with his fan club. Then he would leave the building with a pretty female lawyer, who would flirt with him, but he'd pay no attention to her - as usual. They would then drive to a restaurant of his choice and subsequently he'd only have to deal with one girl the entire next two hours, before having a nice calm day to himself.

All he had to do was to get somebody to chauffeur her around and somehow have a signed legalized form stating that her father has allowed said person to take her and 'Tinga' out for a day, where they'll later split up. Sotai was interested in seeing something in town…

It was a simple plan. It wouldn't undo his fan club or get her out of school early, but a holiday is what everybody needs every so often. They both deserved one.

Thus, Valentine's Day came and everything had so far gone well.

He had gotten lots of greetings of condolences from his coworkers and even some indecent proposals – which he vehemently refused - in light of his now-failed 'marriage'.

There was a mysterious pile of sweats that had somehow managed to bypass his secretary, which he decided he'd ship off to Molly, if this plan of hers worked.

The senior partners, also, had surprisingly received a phone call from his mysterious lawyer and had seen fit to allow him the day off. he had worked for them non-stop for the last eight years and none of his current cases were necessarily urgent, so giving him a one day vacation didn't sound so bad…he WAS going to work off most of the morning, anyway.

The only part of his deal that he wasn't so sure was brilliant was: getting Galatea to chauffeur Molly around town. What she was up to, he wasn't sure. But, getting her father to sign that form on false pretenses – to let Eva and his 'daughter' go to a nearby cinema on the Valentine weekend – was the most…Gazian thing he'd ever done. And, he really DID prefer not talking about how he got Don Wei to fall for it, while they were at that conference. What was the elder Wei doing there, anyway?

The world was really too convenient, lately. What with finding Don Wei the day after his phone call to Molly, getting the man to so easily sign the form and Galatea reading his signature by accidentally letting the papers fall from the table, which had been sloppily put near the edge – after having seen a signature once, she can later forge it. It was almost as if Aiden were messing with him, again. Sure things were going his way, but that manipulative bastard was Sotai's brother and MOST DEFINITELY NOT to be trusted.

Earlier that morning at eight a.m., Sotai and Molly were being toured around the city Shinji worked at, which was amazingly three hours away from the Stern Boarding School; Galatea was at the wheel.

"So, what are we going to do today, Molly-chan?" Galatea sing sang-ed. The Gazian was dressed in an elegant, yet simple, plaid white winter coat with jeans.

"Well. I'm going to get myself a pair of tattoos, dye my hair…and maybe get my ears pierced." Eva assertively told the silver haired woman. The Terran girl was dressed in a plain black parka with military cargo pants.

Seemingly puzzled by the Earthlings response, Galatea turned to look at Sotai "Isn't Valentine's Day supposed to be a day where you do…cute things: Snuggle, kiss, eat candy, spend time with close friends?"

Shrugging Sotai waved her hand at the thought, "Not really. I've learned that humans view tradition as more of a ritualistic teaching their parents and teachers have implanted in their minds as children. This leads these children into feeling they should use this time of the year as a time to shop for cards, candies and other sweets for loved ones – a capitalist brainwashing technique from the first half of this century that still lingers in the society of today. As these children grow older, however, these vestiges are over run by present day society values, in which it is best to celebrate a holiday in a way that symbolizes to the person the meaning of said holiday. By consequence, Dolly Molly's way of showing love for her loved ones is symbolizing on her body objects that represent something meaningful."

Galatea appeared to have understood the complex explanation, whilst Eva allowed herself to openly look at Sotai as if she were on drugs.

Sotai's official profession in the universe, other than being the Avatar's assistant, was a sort of galactic species anthropologist…you can tell, can't you? She called it bio-anthropology, because she studies people – human or not.

"Or, it could just be cool!" Eva sweatdropped, at the weird answer.

"Cool? Galatea asked, confused.

"Don't ask, I don't think I want to know how the word 'interesting' turned into below warm temperature." The indigo-eyed Gazian resignedly informed her silver-eyed compatriot. "Well, this is my stop. I'm getting down here!" she announced out of the blue.

"Here? But, I thought we were all going to go out and get tattoos!" whined Galatea.

"Sorry Tammy-chan, but you know I already have enough kaejios, as do you. Besides, Eva Diva made specific plans, that do, yet don't, include me." Shutting the car door and waving the duo off, she bid them farewell and ventured alone into the city, not looking back.

Still in the car, Eva turned to look at Galatea, owlishly blinking "You guys got tattoos? But…Sotai doesn't even like earrings…cause they sting!"

Tammy-chan a.k.a. Galatea sweatdropped, as she nervously rubbed the back of her head, "Eh…well, it's a social thing back home. So…yeah! Besides, they don't hurt…not the way we do them…hehehe…yeah!"

By eleven, Shinji was ready to leave his office in search of his lawyer. What he didn't expect was who he found in the lobby, talking to ALL of his female coworkers. Yes, indeed, Sotai in all her adult glory stood intrepidly in front of his entire fan club, plus some, scaring the poor group out of their minds by just telling them a story and was clearly enjoying it.

"…then I took a blunt soup spoon and shoved it down her throat and while that harpy was chocking on the offending object, I turned to the dragon. And with the sword, that by the way just appeared from the shadows around me, I gutted it alive by stabbing it in the stomach and swiped the blade across its belly. The guts rushed out at me, but I wasn't satisfied with that. No, I decided to instead chop off its lower jaw and hurl the fang-ridden jowl through the old hag that had been standing there with my girl telling her cruel things. I just couldn't allow that, now could I? Not taking too long, I ordered her to go hide as I then I turned to look for the harpy, who wasn't there, but then when I started looking around for the damned thing, I woke up. What do you guys think it meant?" she innocently stated, to the ghastly pale group of women around her.

Wisely staying out of Sotai's way, the Perkgurean sat next to his nauseated secretary who had, in fact, heard the sadist's whole story/dream.

One of the loudest of his 'supporters' decided to try her luck at deciphering what to Shinji was a clear 'one wrong move and I'll kill you all' story, "I think it means that you have a strained relationship with the women in your life, you are obsessive and easily pushed into fits of anger. It could also mean you're a misanthrope and only became a lawyer to damn us all." She ventured.

Smiling amusedly at the girl, "Ami, was it? Well, you see I talked to my shrink before making my way here. He obviously said something I didn't agree with, since I've been asking everyone's opinion about it. But, what he told me was this: After, losing my husband to this **harpy** who didn't respect the fact that he was a married man, I fell into a descending spiral hating anyone who doesn't agree with my ideals and using my position as a lawyer to murderously torture every **bitch** who reminded me of that **skank** who might have done me or my daughter any harm, during MY divorce. That I am now trying to slowly rid the world of lice-infested parasitic worms that just so happen to be moderately OK human beings. He told me that my impulses to stop myself from viciously gutting them, disemboweling them with blunt SPOONS, stappeling their heads to random pieces of furniture, dislocating every bone and ligament in their bodies by accidentally pushing them down steep stairways, putting Anthrax in their food and anything else I can think up was giving me these nightmares and thus turning me into a BAD person."

She openly scoffed at this new admittance, "Look at me do I look that horribly vicious to you?" None from her crowd articulated a single word. They would have said 'no' if asked to judge her by just looking at her, but from the glee in her voice when explaining that which she didn't agree with her psychologist…they didn't want to find out just how right her psychologist was.

"I don't know, you always seemed slightly unhinged to me." Shinji dryly uttered from across the room. "Though, I have to admit the food was good."

Everyone in the room turned to look at him, returning their gazes to Sotai as she grinned wryly in his direction, "Sebastian, seems she got tired of you all too soon. Hmmm?"

Elegantly, seizing her suitcase from the floor, she turned to him, "Ready to go over your divorce to **that thing**?" swiftly entwining her arm around his as they left the building together…

"You're his first wife?" Jessica, another of the Perkgurean's fans, gasped in horror.

Smiling a mischievous grin, "Of course, I am. What other female lawyer do you know would even try to gladly murder, her client's ex-wife? I aim for there to be NO settlement or division of possessions. I'M GONNA RUIN HER, JUST YOU WAIT!!!!" and laughing like a mad-woman, she dragged her 'ex-husband' out the door and into his car.

Sitting in the driver's seat Shinji cautiously looked at Sotai, "Such a way to talk about your sister, who just so happens to be doing you the favor you're crucifying her for."

Sighing dreamily Sotai just mumbled to herself, "Crucifixion! Hmmm..!" ignoring the Perkgurean completely, undoubtedly daydreaming about whatever twisted little hell dimension, she could imagine…

"You're not listening…are you?" he exasperatedly moaned to…himself. "Well, just for that, you're making me lunch!" he started to rant, "Just so you know, I want Anticuchos. The real Peruvian-kind of Anticuchos, not that slapstick stuff that tastes like a regular steak."

Sotai never said anything, but Shinji got pretty quiet when her stomach started rumbling, "uhhh…steak is Ok, too…"

Meeting Eva on the way back to the Boarding school, Sotai only smiled when asked 'how'd her day go'. It was only a couple months later, Molly found out that Sotai had cooked Shinji a meat-lovers banquet, on the condition that if he receive anymore lunches from his admirers, he'd hand it over. School food was a little too human oriented for her tastes.

Afterwards, Eva swore she heard Sotai laugh "Squee….heheheheHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"

**DaCat**: I love Anticuchos. COME TO PERU…THE FOOD IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Anyway, I've been having a bit of a hard time, having the computer to myself for long periods of time. Pretty, nightmare-ish, since I wanted this thing out yesterday.

Now, I've got to get to the next chap…T-T…God, I hope I do that one much better!

**SWT**: Sotai no Kawaii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is such a nice person when she's not a sadist or trying to play with people's minds. I love Sotai!!

I also want Anticuchos… but I want salsa with it. Peruvian goodness…

Shinji wasn't expecting Sotai to come to his rescue and now they have beautiful and wonderful meat to enjoy. Shinji must praise the floor Sotai walks on!!! (Laughs like a mad person) So fun!!


	15. Aren’t Goodbyes Supposed to be Hard?

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 15: Aren't Goodbyes Supposed to be Hard?**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue. But we own every Gazian, every Perkgurean and Sotai's magic bag. The Norse stuff…is basically my version of old myths. So practically it is MINE, too._

It had been an incredible depressing day for Eva, not because the sky refused to reflect her dark mood, nor because Eva was having trouble learning a self defense move in which she could just never could keep her balance for, and it definitely was not because Sotai had once again made her practice magic for the last two and a half years and insisted Molly practice the most basic of spells everyday – "or else, I'll never teach you how to properly make a ghost 'haunt' Stern!"

Apparently, if you get trapped in Sotai's bag-verse, only magic users can freely move around in there. If Molly had had no magic to speak of, she would have fallen into a dungeon where she would have been kept in suspended animation until Sotai found her. By default, Sotai decided – not considering Eva's thoughts on the case – that she'd teach the little girl all about magic.

Eva has yet to learn anything beyond basic spells, which she uses to clean her room. Serious bodily harm was an understatement, when Molly thought about what she was going to do to Sotai for taking her time in teaching her magic; it was for this reason and others…

No, what Molly was upset about now wasn't about her magical studies, but more about what Sotai had told her this morning…

"You can't be serious!" Eva howled, "My birthday is in three days; you can't leave, NOW!" she desperately added. Molly wouldn't ever admit in front of the Gazian, but…she'd miss her.

She didn't even know if she'd see her on Alwas, not to mention Oban. Maybe, she'd never see her until Jordan made her and Shinji send her letters again…if he did that this time. She could already tell that by just living things out a little differently things were all SO different.

It was possible Jordan wouldn't send cards by Shinji/Sotai express or Aikka could rather just mail her instead of calling…possibly she could end up not being either's friend and not even have Sotai or Shinji to rely on. The possibilities were endless, and now that the moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived and Sotai had to leave to prepare for Oban…she'd rather freeze time and stay here.

"Hehehe, Good Golly Miss Molly, aren't you greedy…don't worry I'll give you something for your birthday, before I leave." The Gazian reassured, as she continued walking towards her dorm room, to pack.

Running after the indigo-eyed fifteen-year old – Sotai swore that the birth hour of her birthday fell on October 31st, unless it's a leap year…then it's on November 1st ; so she wasn't sixteen, yet- Molly didn't care at the moment just what weird birthday gift the Gazian would give her this time. She still remembered the least materialistic, yet meaningful, present the cat-girl had given her when she had first gotten here. "Forget that!" she snapped, "Why do you have to leave, TODAY?!"

"Uhmmm…cause I do!" She cheerfully shrugged, "Preparations, ya know, this star race doesn't organize itself." They passed a couple of people in the corridor, who wished their good-byes to Sotai, before Molly could continue her case, "I know that! But, it's just…"

Pausing as she opened her dorm room's door, Sotai's smile suddenly gave her face the equivalent of grim determination "We will see each other again! So, stop worrying. You'll jinx yourself, if you think about the 'what ifs' too much." Ending her short speech she pushed the door open, beckoning Eva to follow. "I know you can escape on your own Molly, but be careful. This is a time for change, what once worked will no longer give the same results."

Scowling Eva glared at the Gazian, "Fine! Stop mothering me, your worse than Don Wei when we came back home last time! Jeeze!"

Giggling at Eva's temper Sotai turned to look for her suitcase. Bugging Eva was still as fun as ever. "Aw, you're so mean Diva Eva! I'm here giving you advice and you get SOOO snippy about it." Slyly looking at Eva from the corner of her eye, Sotai decided to mess with her for old times sake, "_Loneliness _by Eva Wei, your book would serve as a 'what not to do' manual for dummies, I swear. Or, maybe, I should get you a familiar, you'll never miss my having trouble abound. It'd be so AWESOME!!!"

"Oh, no you don't! I don't want anything like THAT, from **you**!" Eva rushed, the never ending scenarios of doom passing before her eyes.

"Too bad, but I guess I wouldn't have had the time, anyway…" she turned into her eighteen year-old self, after checking the lock on the door. She was now dressed in her old plain black tank-top and slacks, with the usual two sizes too large short sleeved blouse over top.

Molly stared at her for a moment, in shock, saying faintly "I've never seen that outfit before." Staring at the young Earther, Sotai glanced at her in bafflement, "Dolly Molly…I wore this all the time, back **then**. You remember that, right?"

Sincerely, Eva couldn't remember Sotai ever looking like that…and even as she tried to keep in mind that she was human and by default couldn't remember every little detail of her everyday life, she didn't remember when Sotai used to look like that back **then**. In fact, this outfit didn't ring any bells for her at all…

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I kind of remember now. It's just been a long time, since I've seen you're 'real' human form." She lied, not wanting to be the subject of other's worry.

Waving it off, the Gazian returned to making her bags, "Meh! Watch closely, I want you to be able to do this properly, next time I see you. Or else, I'll…hmmm, I'll make you wear a…my mother's clothes!" She lamely threatened the crimson-eyed girl.

Standing in the middle of the room, Sotai's messy bun came un-done by its own accord. The Gazian raised her hand, parallel to the floor, "This is compatible with your base magic, so EVEN you can do something like this if you keep practicing!" With these words a bright white orb formed itself in the middle of her outstretched hand, spiraling winds made out of air fused together in her open palm, until it was the size of a small orange.

Speaking the name of the incantation, "Mizigo!" the winds in her hand swept out into the room taking the Gazian's clothes, as well as the rest of her belongings, out of the drawers and closet, folding them in mid-air and finally coming to rest in her travel bag – the normal one.

Eva stared awestruck at the efficient use of 'boring' magic. She couldn't do anything like that in one go; it was so…remarkable even if this was supposed to be the most basic thing in the world.

"Pick your jaw off the floor, Diva Eva. I want you to meet my 'grandpapa'." Sotai returned to her normal fifteen year-old self – her 'Not into Pedophilia' shirt, blaring the indigo-eyed girl's atypical moral values to the world, since she decided to forgo the short sleeved blouse.

Walking to the outer patio, the girls spotted Shinji and an older man standing there waiting for Sotai's arrival. Having the stern Mrs. Stern at her back, Molly couldn't help but interpret the sadistic feline's smile as something akin to her saying, "show-time!" as the curtains of a play only the Gazian knew the script to, rose.

"Papa! Grandpa Satis!" she ran at the men in glee. She threw herself at Shinji, the 'much elder' man hugged her back, whispering things into her ear. To any observer it was a touching scene between father and daughter, but Eva and Satis were close enough to know the truth. "Sotai, never again leave my side! I need you; I REALLY need you…to cook food for me! The people here are insane, how do they expect me to survive! Make me more food! Please! Look, I'm begging, COOK ME SOMETHING AS SOON AS WE GET HOME!!!!"

How anybody else didn't realize Shinji wasn't happy, in the sense of a long departed father, to see Sotai, was beyond incomprehensible. But, damn, it was SO funny! If Shinji had been in his wolf form, Molly would undoubtedly see how Shinji got the nickname 'dog boy'!

The expression on the indigo-eyed girl's face was also pretty amusing, you could practically see Sotai ordering Shinji to beg for a treat, in her head…then laughing maliciously, afterwards as she literally whispered back at him, "Maybe…but, only as soon as we get back home…if we're not too busy."

The shocked heartbroken appearance of the starved Perkgurean, gave the young sadist the opportunity to turn her attention towards her 'grandfather', "…and you, grandpapa Satis, how have you been?" she warmly hugged him.

The unmistakable voice of the old Avatar, caringly answered her back, "Ah…it seems as if things are getting a littler stiff around the shoulders - if you know what I mean, my dear?"

Nodding in complete understanding at the old man's words, the Lady of the Akatsuki clan waved her goodbye to her friend, "My gift's in the mail. I was serious Dolly Molly, learn THAT you-know-what, or else!...and read page seventy-five when you get the chance!!!!!!" before helping her grandpa into the hovering SUV. An incredibly simple goodbye, for such incredibly complicated people.

The inhabitants of the car had previously decided on a place to safely leave the planet, a place that was only an hour's drive from the Boarding school. That hour gave all three enough time to talk between themselves.

"Sotai…I couldn't help but notice you changed your plans. It wouldn't have been, because of that girl, would it?" the old Avatar asked his female assistant in a shrewdly playful voice.

From the back seat Sotai waved off her master's suspicions, giggling at his comment "I saw many amusing things that surrounded her…and I wanted to take my time finding out just _what_ they were. I'm sorry, if my curiosity has in any way inconvenienced you, Old timer."

Watching the road during the exchange, Shinji was more interested in getting his passengers to their destination rather than admonishing Sotai for the rude nickname she had insisted in giving their master, so he said nothing.

Sighing to himself in the co-pilot's seat, Satis smiled to himself, Sotai could be SO rude, and yet SO polite all in one breathe. He was sure that somewhere it was a great talent…he just wished she wouldn't practice so often. "So, she's interested you? That's not something that happens, everyday. A descendant of a friend of yours?" he calmly grinned back at her as he continued to grill her for interesting answers.

The Gazian leaned her body against the co-pilot's seat her master was sitting in, looking down at him with a sly smile she conspiratorially answered him in that typically cryptic way of hers, "Maybe she is, most likely she isn't. But, I'm sure I've met her before…reincarnation, déjà vu, whichever it may be…either way, I've got more important things to think about now."

"Always, trying to get yourself out of explaining things, aren't you, my dear?" he graciously let her off the hook. "Well…I liked her. She also caught my eye; truly a good find." He congratulated his immortal female assistant.

Neither assistant reacted upon his words; they knew he would like Molly, he had told them so, last time.

He looked up at Sotai for a while, before turning to scrutinize Shinji. Both noticed his eyes on their person, but the comfortable silence of the trip was a more important reprieve of the future events…he'd tell them what was on his mind, when he was ready.

"Maybe, I should change that…" he mumbled to himself in deep thought. The curious Gazian gazed down at her charge and master, "That?" Startled out of his thoughts, the sheepish Avatar spoke aloud his thoughts "Yes, I was thinking that maybe, either one of you, would…perhaps, be happier in the care of the Earth and Nourasian teams, instead of the…" but the elderly man from the planet Adaloo was quickly interrupted, by the eager Gazian, "Shot-gun on the Earth team!"

Sotai enthusiastically crowed at her 'victory' over her partner, "Too bad, Doggy Boy, you're stuck with the Nourasians and ALL their veggie meals! Muahahahahahaha!!!!!! No worries, I'll still feed you… unless humans don't take meat to outer space, too. Oh well, we'll find out, won't we!" she cruelly tormented her partner.

Nourasians despite what the Gazian Lady just said, in fact, did eat meat. Just not during races or holidays, as it was the Nourasian belief that meat would corrupt their bodies with bad luck and blur their minds to the paths their gods dictated that they should take.

Well, Satis thought to himself, they were always very flexible to change.

A couple days later, back at the Stern Boarding School, it was Eva's birthday…and she was bored. Sure, she got numerous happy birthdays from her classmates and a couple of chocolates from some friends she had in her own class, as well as a few from those from the basketball team, but it just wasn't the same.

Ned had two packages that had brightened the young girl quite a bit, which arrived the day after. He was glad he could make the young vibrant youth a little happier, since the girl had been a little blue since the departure of her 'cousin'.

The first package he had for her wasn't be any means a surprise, given that it was that last part she needed for her hover bike. The second one, however, had been quite unexpected as it was a spell book, with a chapter already marked out for her and a note on one of the first sheets:

_The luggage spell, is the very first multi-purpose spell you'll be learning. It'll make sure to leave not only your base magic breathless, for a while. snickers pun intended! _

_Darkness Incarnate,_

_Sotai_

_PS: Don't get caught in a tree! _

Eva never quite understood, the tree thing, but Sotai was just random that way.

It was nearing the end of classes, and she hadn't finished adjusting her newly acquired part in her baby – her hover bike –, yet. She'd probably need to leave in the middle of the night if she were to get to Don Wei's at around the same time she had done last time.

Her worry was all for naught. As she returned to her dorm room, after dinner, there was something in her room waiting for her. Well, it was actually someone. Someone who she hadn't seen since Valentine's Day, and it wasn't that tattoo parlor guy, either.

No, it was an overjoyed Galatea that was sitting on her bed, with an oddly full suitcase at her side. "Ready to leave?" she gently and quite politely, mind you, asked the young Earther.

She was nothing like her sister; she didn't make weird references about herself being dark, for one. Another thing about this Gazian that seemed to be quite different was the way her aura felt. An ability, she had had before Sotai forced her to learn proper magic. Her aura wasn't like Sotai's.

Galatea's was just as mischievous as and slightly less devious than her sister's. However, the feeling of polite amusement was something that pervaded her aura and made it less likely to fear the girl.

Were all Gazians devious mischiefs? Apparently so or at least those related were.

Molly looked incredulously at Galatea, "And, just how do you expect me to do that?"

Tilting her head slightly, making her long silver locks fall against her shoulder, the silver-eyed woman smiled in mild enjoyment, "…well…I'm teleporting you out of here, along with that hover-bike of yours, of course."

The expression on Eva's face was comical at best, "Mah?"

**DaCat**: Ok…it's a necessary chapter…just kill me. Sotai will go through with lots of the threats she's mentioned in this chapter and there is a reason she keeps coming off as **DARK. **

Mizigo is Swahili for package/luggage/load. Any clue why I said it was a multi-use spell?

The BOOK does have a name as you will see in later chapters.

Star Fata: Ooooooh!!!! A Pun bribe, huh? How C-B-A-musing…dumb I know, but I think it's a riot.

Crazyvegimab: _reads review…promptly spits out coke!_…like Sotai? WHAT HAVE I DONE??????????? _Continues reading_ I'm glad it makes you go Squee! It makes me go Muu, though. Sometimes, Mao…it all depends on my moods. Watch it with those hyper cans of hyperness, one almost took out my cousin's eye…gotta be real careful with those things. You know, shake 'em REAL HARD so they blow up in your face…it's funnier that way!

**SWT**: Don't you love Gazians? They are such wild guests and so fun to be acquainted to. They have wild parties; you should all join in someday.

I love the use of Swahili, DaCat, try Hebrew next time. I would love to see Molly's reaction to Galatea. She is after all quite different from Sotai and Aiden in her own very special way.

Loved the reviews and can't wait for the next bribe, pun or appreciation from our dear readers!! Love ya all!!


	16. Moments before the Beginning

_**There and Back Again: Nothing Just Ends on Oban**_

**Chapter 16: Moments before the Beginning**

_**Warning:** Anyone who is entirely immortal suffers from chronic insanity, even the sanest ones. _

_**Pairings:** This is not a Molly/Jordan, it might become a Molly/Aikka, but for now there are no pairings. _

_**Disclaimer:** We don't know French…that'll probably give you a clue. But we own every Gazian, every Perkgurean and Sotai's magic bag. The Norse stuff…is basically my version of old myths. So practically it is MINE, too._

Molly looked incredulously at Galatea, "And, just how do you expect me to do that?"

Tilting her head slightly, making her long silver locks fall against her shoulder, the silver-eyed woman smiled in mild enjoyment, "…well…I'm teleporting you out of here, along with that hover-bike of yours, of course."

The expression on Eva's face was comical at best, "Mah?"

The Herald of Prophecies could already tell that this one had an amusing temper and as tempting as it was to provoke it, there was little time.

Maybe, when they returned to Alwas…, she privately thought to herself.

The Earther's shocked expression suddenly turned ecstatic this was GREAT!!! Now, things were going HER way! "Sure, lets GO!!" she half dragged the Gazian out the door.

Oh yes, it was nice to be the Herald of Prophecies rather than the Lady of the Blooded…it got you WILLING toys!

Quietly, sneaking around corners and deftly dodging the teachers, the two quickly found themselves in the tool shed behind the school, right where she kept her hover bike. It appears that Gazian's have a number of useful qualities such as the strength to haul a large hover bike without much trouble, which Molly watched with wide incredulous eyes.

Once in the school yard, ten meters from the wall, the starlight grey-haired Gazian put the hover bike down as they stopped to think their next move, sort of…"We can't stop here; we'll be caught!" Galatea snorted, clearly uncaring if she did get caught, "Only if they can fly!"

"Flyyy…" However, right in the middle of that monosyllabic question, the so far saner of the Gazians Molly had met, seemed to think she was overdue in doing something just as or maybe even more so insane than her younger sister.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Galatea wasn't by any means adopted.

You could CLEARLY tell, when said feline swiftly grabbed hold of Eva's men's…uniform's collar and belt and promptly threw her over the wall - and then some. "…yyyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??!!??!!??!!??!!??"

It no longer mattered at this point to be quiet – shame nobody heard anything – as Eva screamed to her heart's content. Really, who'd blame her? Rollercoasters were less bloodcurdling than what she was feeling, as she continued to skyrocket through the air.

Meanwhile, Galatea looked on impassively as she silently scoffed. _HUMANS…It's not even that scary_, she thought to herself, _she's being COMPLETELY overdramatic. _Sighing in annoyance, she lifted the Earthlings hover bike – Molly's bag and The Book in the compartment under the seat – and faded from view; reappearing mere nanoseconds later next to a minivan. Taking her time to flatten the seats so as to make room for the hover bike and then stuff it in there, Galatea ignored all that was around her especially Molly dearest's voice – shrill cry – as she worked. Finally, securing the hoverbike in the car, she slowly walked a ways towards the north and stood there.

One minute passed….

Two minutes…

Three…

As the forth minute arrived, so did Eva. "AAAAAaaaaaaaHHHHhhhhhhhh!!!!" Soaring – like a hawk - straight for the ground, Galatea simply, and rather dispassionately, caught her.

It took a couple of seconds for the Terran teen to regain any use of her vocal cords so as to utter anything more complicated than continuous strings of vocals. Taking advantage of the relative quiet, those seconds offered, Galatea made sure to put Molly in the copilot's seat.

Calm never lasted for Galatea, though. For when the silver-eyed Gazian opened her door Eva let her have it, "What the HELL, do you think you're doing? What happened to teleporting?? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!!!" she snarled, at last.

Galatea looked at Molly with unhidden amusement. "Hmmm…so Sotai was right Molly dearest can't see intentions, only hearts. Mah…and here I thought she was a _gifted_ air user." She quietly mused to herself, her eyes glinting in unveiled interest.

However, as she turned on the car, not caring to look at Eva, what she answered was the following, "But, I didn't. I'm here to make sure you're alive not dead and on your way back to Oban and not your boarding school."

At the incredulous sputter coming from her companion, she airily added "Just relax, now; that's the last un-human thing I can allow myself to do to you from now on."…as if she didn't just hurl the poor Earther through the air.

On another planet, in another galaxy two familiar figures were sitting at a bar. Aiden and Junko were trying to get drunk yet again, with little success.

"I think we should apologize to her" Junko deadpanned, as she stared at her husband, who was currently trying to once again get drunk, with what was supposed to be the strongest thing this bar had to offer. Just his luck too, it only tasted like watered down coke to him.

All he wanted was to get drunk…maybe just a little tipsy, was that too much to ask?

"Maybe I should introduce you to a pissed off Galatea, a malicious Junko…or maybe a not so nice Sotai!" he muttered as he calmly gazed at the alcoholic beverage he was threatening, with a doom-impending grin.

Both beings were currently looking very human - despite the fact that humans were an unknown species in their little corner of the universe. Only their clothes bellied their precedence.

In human standards, Junko looked very pretty. She had long lace ebony locks, with silver highlights in her bangs, a mysterious half lidded look in her jade eyes, she had pale flawless skin her manicured fingers were long and well kept and she had a to die for figure, 90-60-90. The odd looking kimono as well as her entire body language seemed to give her the aspect of a mysterious sorceress or a fortune teller divining your fate.

As for Aiden, well, his human form gave him the appearance of a druid, with thin reading glasses at the edge of his nose, and a forest green traveling cloak hanging from his thin frame. The perpetually amused grin on his features practically screamed 'smart ass' and the twinkle in his navy blue eyes gave him a crafty look about himself.

They both, just like Shinji, Sotai, and, now, Galatea, had the appearance of a couple of eighteen year olds, despite supposedly being their elder siblings.

Sweatdropping at her husband's self inflicted crusade to find the one alcoholic beverage powerful enough to get either one of them drunk, she sighed in defeat, "You're not even listening to me are you?" Really, did he _have to_ threaten their drinks with women?

Albeit, she knew that the tempers of her sisters-in-law and herself were legendary, there was always something scarier to pit against a large glass with fermented…whatever, such as: filling it with laxatives and giving it to some bum on the street that due to already being malnourished dies from it, then the police find him and after checking a missing person's report realize that he's the run away heir to a large sum of money. The police would then take the empty glass as evidence and start to pick away at it for any kind of clue of who had done away with the misfortunate heir. And, once the investigation had concluded the poor violated glass would be flung to the side and never used by its owner again…unless it was a really busy night.

Sure, it was an over dramatized example of what could happen, but with her husband such events usually were grave underestimations of what truthfully would have happened.

Trying again to coerce her husband to, at least, pretend he felt guilty when he did his job, Junko poked him out of his trance, "Gah!...yes, Jun Jun?" he sheepishly smiled back at her.

"I think we should…" but her words had been drowned out when some drunken moron grabbed her hand and dragged her to the dance floor – 'cause she was pretty and he wanted his turn with her.

Aiden, had he been any other guy, would have gone to her rescue. What stopped him, however, was the look on his wife's face. It was **that** look, the same one she had on her face when she decided to blast Atlantis into the watery depths of that ocean on Earth… Atl…Pac…Indi…whatever it was called. He decided to simply shut his eyes, he'd had his fair share of bloodshed during his ever lasting lifetime, and any inflicted by his wife gave him nightmares about stuff, _scary_ stuff.

Outside the gate of Wei Industries, two girls were looking inwards, quietly debating with themselves over what their next step should be.

"So…what'd you do last time?" Galatea asked, her eyes never straying from the Wei Races logo on the main building.

Looking a little surprised that Galatea was asking her such a question instead of just leaving her to her own resources, she motioned her head towards the security guard across the street, who was currently reading the newspaper, "I took my hover bike and passed the gate and just shot off for a hanger once I was in; the guard wouldn't let me in even after I told him I was Don Wei's daughter, so..."

Nodding her head at the young teenager's words, Galatea seemed to be checking out the gate entrance with the oblivious guard, "Do it again." She deadpanned.

Snapping her eyes at the Gazian, Eva couldn't believe what she was hearing. They – Shinji, Sotai, and even Galatea – had numerously told her that doing things in the same manner wouldn't work anymore. So why was she, telling her to do the same? "What?"

"Yeah, do it again! It'll be OK, to do it just this once. That man's an idiot. I mean seriously anybody could get past him." The Lady of the Strings insisted, smiling in satisfaction at the possible success of her idea.

Poking the girl in the side, the Herald of Prophecies led her back to her car to unload the young girl's hover bike. "Take care, Molly dearest. I trust I'll see you on Alwas." Galatea told the girl.

She turned to get into the car when it seems that she just thought of something, "Oh, by the way, on Alwas I'm called Tammy, don't forget! Bye, Molly dearest!" she added, before getting into her car and driving around the corner.

Breathing in for confidence, Eva knew she had to do this. A whole bunch of things depended on her getting on that space egg – snicker, snicker – and well, she'd go through with it, even if she had to wing it.

Sitting herself on the bike, Molly decided that maybe she'd be better off not thinking things through. Things always seemed to work better when she just did things, period, unless she was studying something.

Mind set, she raced towards the gate. Everything would be alright, she told herself.

On Oban, the two Avatar's assistants were currently busy setting the arrangements with the planets of Alwas, Sangrar and Darwar. Quite frankly, even if Satis was doing most of the work, it didn't mean that either one was getting a couple minutes more sleep. A fact, that only augmented the stress imposed on Shinji and Sotai due to their unhealthy living habits.

"Sotai." Shinji moaned, after clearing a couple of points with the delegates from Darwar, and clearly wishing to drop dead from the stress of forcing himself to not kill them for being so stubborn over a detail they themselves didn't even care about. "Feed me, for the love of all that is holy in this world, FEED ME! I'll even let you read on the job…until we get to Oban, that is."

Looking over some papers, the Gazian didn't even glance in his direction, "Your pride easily goes down the drain when it comes to your stomach, doesn't it?"

Annoyed at the unwanted observation, the Perkgurean acerbically responded in kind, "That's like the pot calling the kettle black, Sotai." Huffing a little before continuing, "Look, we both are quite capable of killing the next person that comes in through that door, for their meat. Neither one of us has been eating properly, and we're both large game hunters, so to speak. At least, do me the favor of preventing either one of us from devouring our charges or one of the other racers."

Slowly turning to look at her partner, Sotai's expression seemed to ask him if he was stupid, "It's miraculous that you can rationalize my bad mood in a way that even National Geographic would be proud. Now if you don't mind me using a page out of your own book, I'm trying to tell myself that your whining isn't the cries of my wounded prey."

Her stomach emphasizing her point, unashamedly, as Shinji slowly backed away. "Ooookaaayyyyyy…Perhaps, we should take turns cooking and since, you seem a little occupied, I'll take the first turn." He skirted out the door, without another word.

Satis who had been walking past when he heard his assistant's conversation, chuckled silently to himself. Shinji hadn't left her alone since they had arrived; apparently he really loved Sotai's cooking. Now if only she would stop threatening the **Guardian of Destruction** with eating him, maybe, just maybe, she'd realize that he's complementing her cooking…in his own very unusual way.

Sighing, he continued on his way, immortals, like the young, seemed to think that they had forever to get around to doing things that might not be there the next day.

**DaCat**: Ok, I don't think I need to explain anything in this chapter. I really have to thank all those who continue to read my fic and have been patient enough to wait for me to update, while I've been sick. By the way, I'd like to inform you all, that I've now completed this story since I was first planning for this to be a sort of prequel to the real story, that I'll be hopefully be uploading soon.

Crazyvegimab: Shinji as a Nourasian? I'll have to debate over that one with SWT, although personally I think it's not really necessary. Lot's of aliens scurrying around probably wouldn't mind another one living with you.

Star Fata: Hmmm…pleasure coma in an ice-cream! YAY!!! Seriously, though I love all these fun ice-cream bribes, I hope you continue sending me lots more!

**SWT**: I do wonder, what happened to Spellcaster Hikaru? We really loved her reviews!! I can't believe this has come to an end… Oh, well! We're continuing anyways. I hope you remember to see the sequel.

DaCat, I really have to thank you for helping and letting me help with the creation of this fanfic. I really have fun with Shinji, Sotai and Galatea. Can't wait to add in the rest of the characters!! (Insert evil laughter)

Lots of Love, everyone, Bye


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